“You should apologize”. Ben Stokes breaks silence on nightclub controversy after England return Cricket News:
NEW DELHI: England captain Ben Stokes admitted he apologized to his teammates after returning for the series-deciding third Test against New Zealand cricket team. Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson missed the second Test after being investigated for allegedly violating the team’s midnight curfew following England’s win in the first match. While they were cleared of any violent conduct, both received written warnings for violating team rules.Speaking before the third Test at Trent Bridge, Stokes said addressing the squad was one of the first things he did after joining the team.“That was one of the first things I have to do as a captain,” said Stokes to reporters.The England skipper acknowledged the nightclub controversy affected more than just him. He said it overshadowed an important moment for some young players who made their Test debut during the second match.“It’s affected Joe, it’s affected the squad, it’s affected people outside the playing environment. It will undoubtedly have an effect on the youngsters making their debut. That should have been all about them, but unfortunately a situation out of their control preceded their big day to make their debut for England in Test cricket,” he added.England, led by Joe Root in the absence of Stokes, lost the second Test by 253 runs as New Zealand leveled the series 1-1.Stokes said that leadership means owning mistakes and asking for forgiveness when necessary.“It’s stupid and pointless for me not to acknowledge that and talk about that. It’s all well and good when things go well, but you also have to take responsibility for things. That’s what I do,” he said.The 34-year-old also dismissed suggestions of a rift with England coach Brendon McCullum.“You don’t plan to do something like this together in a professional environment. Me and Brendon talked every day in the first season.“Maybe in the future we will look back on it and go, it brought us closer. This division, this drift, we never drift.”With the series tied 1-1, Stokes said he and Atkinson were focused solely on helping England win the final Test.“The main thing about me coming back, Gus coming back, is that we’re going to focus on the main objective, which is the cricket this week.“It’s 1-1 in the series, we have one game left, and the importance of the result of this game is something we have to focus on,” he concluded.
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