England captain Ben Stokes said it hurt him as a friend when he saw the reaction Joe Root was getting after the English side was thrashed by New Zealand by 253 runs in the second Test at the Oval. Stokes was dropped from the team for the Test after an altercation involving a Saracens rugby union player in a nightclub after the 1st Test after which Root was selected as interim captain for the second Test.
“It’s always difficult. I was obviously playing for Durham and watching how things were going. I guess, for me, Joe Root in particular is someone who, we’ve known each other since we were kids, and he got put into a situation which he never thought would probably have to be bestowed upon him again after walking away from captaincy. But I think that in itself shows that not only is he one of the greats of the game on the field, but I think it shows a lot about his character,” Stokes said on Wednesday after he was reinstated as England captain ahead of the 3rd Test.
“Seeing him stand up and take that responsibility on last week showed a lot about his character but then also from the other side for me as his friend, it was hard to see the reaction that he got. And for me that’s something that hurt me because I’m very close with Joe. And as I said at the start, when something happens, it’s obviously going to effect someone else. And seeing the effect that it had on Joe from public opinion was hard to see and read from my point of view, if that makes sense. But that shouldn’t take away the courage that Joe showed in taking that on that week. It would have been very easy for him to have said, ‘nah, I don’t need this.’ But yet again, he put the team first, as he has done on multiple occasions. It was tough to watch from a few different angles. Obviously watching the guys lose and go through the motions of losing the Test match, it’s never nice because I know what that feels like. But then seeing some of the reaction that Joe undeservedly got was something that hurts you not only as a colleague, but also as a friend,” he added.
Stokes also said he apologised to his teammates after being dropped for the second Test for disciplinary reasons. Stokes admitted he had been “man enough” to own up to his mistake, while also acknowledging this is the “highest amount of pressure” he and head coach Brendon McCullum have faced as captain and head coach.
Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson were dropped from the second Test against New Zealand after breaking a midnight curfew during an incident at a London nightclub, following England’s series-opening win at Lord’s.
