Ben Stokes has expressed regret to his fellow England teammates, acknowledging that they no longer have to be cautious around him as he admits he became overly focused on his personal needs over the team’s during the Pakistan tour.
In a candid statement before the crucial first Test against New Zealand in Christchurch, Stokes confessed that he had placed too much importance on his comeback from a hamstring injury, pledging not to allow himself to repeat such behavior in the future.
Adding to the intrigue as England gears up for a series that will determine their year-end standing, Stokes emphasized that the team selection was not intended to provoke anyone, addressing the surprising decision to have debutant Jacob Bethell bat at No 3, a position he has never played in his modest first-class career, which boasts no centuries and an average of 25.
There has rarely been a dull day since Stokes and Brendon McCullum joined forces in 2022. But the manner in which the captain attempted to draw a line under the tour of Pakistan, where England lost 2-1 after winning the first Test, was extraordinary even by his standards.
‘It was one of my hardest trips, but also one that I’ve hugely benefited from,’ he said. ‘I had my hamstring injury, and worked incredibly hard for a very long period of time. And I’ve been pretty honest with myself, Baz and the team, that I got so individually focused on trying to get back from injury that I physically drained and ruined myself.
‘It definitely had some kind of mental impact on me, because I almost worked myself too hard to get back to fitness, and then all of a sudden I was in a Test match.
Ben Stokes has opened up on ‘one of the hardest trips’ of his career after England toured Pakistan earlier this year
There has rarely been a dull moment since Brendon McCullum partnered with Stokes
‘And it’s made me realise that, being captain, I can’t take myself into that sort of area ever again – focusing on myself so much as an individual, because not only does it have an impact on me, but a massive one on the team.
‘There’s no doubt my frustration was showing when things weren’t quite going our way. Everyone’s treading on eggshells around you, because they can sense it.’
As England frittered away their 1-0 lead in Multan and Rawalpindi, it was clear that Stokes was not his normal ebullient self. Only later did he reveal that his house in County Durham had been burgled during the second Test, while his family were home.
Stokes revealed that his wife, Clare, told him to stay on tour, but he said it was not until he returned home that he understood what he had been going through. He added: ‘If I ever find myself in this situation again, I need to maybe take a step back and think about what’s best for the team.’
The change in demeanour as he spoke in the city of his birth could not have been more pronounced, the scowls of Pakistan replaced by jokes and smiles – and his insistence that he is ‘completely over the injury’. Stokes surprised his family, who live in Christchurch, by flying out a week earlier than expected, and the return to familiar territory has clearly done him good.
Now for the cricket. England have so far won seven Tests and lost seven in 2024, and are desperate to go into a year in which they face India and Australia with a win-loss ratio that suggests progress not paralysis. Against a high-class New Zealand team who recently won 3-0 in India, that will not be easy – especially with star batsman Kane Williamson returning from a groin injury.
For many on social media, the presence of Bethell in the pivotal No 3 position, allowing stand-in wicketkeeper Ollie Pope to drop to No 6, is just another example of England’s wilful iconoclasm. But Stokes, who will drop to No 7, defended a selection as bold as any in the Bazball era, saying he and McCullum had always looked beyond the stats.
‘People might not quite understand it, but that’s how me and Baz have operated for a long period of time,’ he said. ‘And we’ve got a pretty good understanding and insight, and a good eye for picking players to fulfill a role.
Stokes battled back from a hamstring injury to return to the side in the series defeat by Pakistan
Jacob Bethell will come in at No 3 despite an average of 25 with Ollie Pope dropping to No 6 to take the gloves
‘Bethell coming in gives an opportunity up the order, as opposed to just filtering down and not being able to impose himself on the game. There is thought and process towards it, even if it does raise a few eyebrows. We’re not picking players just to wind people up. We do know what we’re doing.’
An alternative option would have been to bat Joe Root – set to win his 150th Test cap – at No 3. But Stokes explained he didn’t want the rejig caused by Jordan Cox’s broken thumb to become ‘too messy’, while Root himself said: ‘If it was offered up, we’ve have had a discussion about it.’
Instead, Root paid tribute to his old mentor Graham Thorpe, who took his own life in August and has been commemorated in a new prize to be contested by the two sides. The Crowe-Thorpe Trophy, which also honours former New Zealand captain Martin Crowe, who died of cancer in 2016, is made from bats used by both men.
‘The influence Thorpey had on my career is unrivalled,’ said Root. ‘Hopefully the two teams represent the way they played, and we’ll have a humdinger of a series.’
With Stokes wearing his game face once more, there is every chance of that.
