Summary
- England captain Ben Stokes has said that after two turbulent weeks, his sole focus is on helping England win the decisive Test against New Zealand national cricket team at Trent Bridge.
- The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and cricket regulators cleared Stokes to resume his role following an investigation into an incident at a nightclub on June 8, shortly after England’s victory over New Zealand at Lord’s.
- During Stokes absence, England suffered a heavy defeat at The Oval where batter and former captain Joe Root led the side as stand-in captain.
England captain Ben Stokes has said that after two turbulent weeks, his sole focus is on helping England win the decisive Test against New Zealand national cricket team at Trent Bridge.
Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson have returned to the team after being involved in an incident related to breaking the team’s curfew.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and cricket regulators cleared Stokes to resume his role following an investigation into an incident at a nightclub on June 8, shortly after England’s victory over New Zealand at Lord’s.
During Stokes absence, England suffered a heavy defeat at The Oval where batter and former captain Joe Root led the side as stand-in captain.
Speaking to the media ahead of the third Test, Stokes said he is fully focused on winning the series and dismissed suggestions of any tension in his relationship with head coach Brendon McCullum.
He said:
“Something happened that obviously took a lot of attention away from the series, but I want to make sure my focus is where it needs to be.”
“I’m here as captain of this team, and I’m only trying to focus on winning the series this week.”
Stokes also revealed that he had apologized to his teammates for the distraction caused by the investigation and its impact on the team.
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