Ben Stokes: Umpires should give 'leeway' on sledging, says England vice-captain

Ben Stokes and Marlon Samuels have clashed on several occasions

Umpires are too quick to clamp down on sledging, says Ben Stokes.

The England all-rounder, who has been involved in heated exchanges with West Indies star Marlon Samuels, feels officials can jump in "too early" and make "a situation out of nothing".

Stokes told the BBC: "We're trying to win a game here playing for our country, so give us a bit of leeway."

England's vice-captain for the one-day series in Bangladesh also claims some fans want players to sledge each other.

"They like to see passion and desire to win, so I think there could be a bit more lenience towards stuff like that, definitely," the 25-year-old told Stumped, the World Service's weekly cricket programme.

Stokes and Samuels have clashed several times on the field of play.

Samuels taunted Stokes by saluting him as he left the pitch after the England man was dismissed in a Grenada Test in 2015.

The pair then confronted each other when West Indies overcame England in this year's World Twenty20 final.

Stokes, who has played 25 Tests for England and 44 ODIs, has also been caught verbally abusing South Africa batsman Temba Bavuma.

You can hear more from England and Durham all-rounder Stokes on this week's Stumped podcast, which is available from Saturday.