England captain Ben Stokes apologises to his teammates before returning for the third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge. Multiple reports say Stokes acknowledges the controversy around his and teammate Gus Atkinson’s breach of the team curfew after a win at Lord’s, which leads to his absence from the second Test that England lose at the Oval.
According to the outlets, Stokes says he “needed to” look those affected “in the eye” and has spoken to the squad to address how events after the curfew incident turned attention away from the team and into personal scrutiny. The Guardian also reports that Stokes says he has been hurt by criticism directed at Joe Root, who captained in Stokes’ place, and links the backlash to his own decision to speak out.
Stokes’ comments also include reference to the wider impact of the episode, including the way it overshadows the debuts of younger players, and he denies any rift with coach Brendon McCullum. The focus is now on the series decider against New Zealand.
