Ben Stokes apologises to England teammates: backlash against Joe Root ‘hurt me’
England captain contrite on return after curfew breach Oval loss ‘hurt me, because I’m very close with Joe’ Ben Stokes has spoken for the first
England captain contrite on return after curfew breach Oval loss ‘hurt me, because I’m very close with Joe’ Ben Stokes has spoken for the first time about his exclusion from the second Test against New Zealand on disciplinary grounds, revealing he has apologised to his teammates and was “hurt” seeing Joe Root criticised as a stand-in captain.
The 35-year-old was stood down before the 253-run defeat at the Oval after he and Gus Atkinson broke the team’s curfew following victory in the first Test at Lord’s.
It triggered a fortnight of acrimony in English cricket, with suggestions of a rift between Stokes and the team management, and a threat to retire.
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