Ben Stokes has apologised to the England dressing-room, telling them they no longer need to ‘tread on eggshells’ after he became so self-absorbed in Pakistan he placed his own needs ahead of the team.
In a remarkably open admission ahead of Wednesday night’s crucial first Test against New Zealand in Christchurch, Stokes admitted he had become too fixated on his return from a hamstring injury, and promised: ‘I can’t take myself into that sort of area ever again.’
To add to the drama as his side prepare for a series which will determine whether they end 2024 in credit or debit, he insisted England were not picking players ‘to wind people up’ after it emerged that debutant Jacob Bethell would bat at No 3 – despite never filling the role in a first-class career that has produced no hundreds 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.
‘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.
‘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.
