Stokes admits to pressure and says sorry to teammates

Ben Stokes has apologised to his England teammates after missing the second Test for disciplinary reasons and admitted this is “highest amount of pressure” he and Brendon McCullum have been under as captain and head coach.

- Ali Martin

Stokes and Gus Atkinson were stood down before the 253-run defeat at the Oval, having broken the team’s midnight curfew after their 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 management, as well as a threat to retire.

Having been through a disciplinary process that resulted in a written warning from the England and Wales Cricket Board - but no case to answer in the eyes of the Cricket Regulator - Stokes is back in charge.

His focus, he claimed, is now solely on the third Test that starts today and securing the win that would ease pressure on the set-up. Stokes was asked if he had apologised to teammates, not least after an inexperienced side featuring three debutants were beaten heavily in his absence. “Of course,” he said.

“That was one of the first things I had to do as a captain. You look at the situation and it affects more than just myself. It affected Joe Root, the squad, the people outside the playing environment. It no doubt had an effect on lads who were making their debut. That should have been all about them.