- Stokes revealed that his family home was broken into while on tour in Pakistan.
- England captain would have been informed before the decisive Test
- The visitors blew a 1-0 lead and left Pakistan with a loss ending the series.
No wonder Ben Stokes cut out such a distraction during the third Test in Pakistan last week.
It comes after the England captain announced the shocking news on Instagram on Wednesday that a masked intruder broke into his home while his wife Claire and children Leighton and Libby were home playing cricket and away. Events in Rawalpindi appeared to be very different. perspective.
It still seems possible that his mental state that week could be partially related to the fact that he had not yet regained full trust in his body after returning from a serious hamstring injury. Otherwise, he would certainly have been included to bowl on the second afternoon, when England had exhausted their wicket-taking options.
But does that fully explain his behavior before, during and after the match, which began just seven days after the break-in at his home in Eden Castle, near Hartlepool?
Stokes, usually very sharp on the field, chased down the Test as Salman Agha and Pakistan’s lower-ranked side turned a deficit into a series victory within 24 hours. Usually focused on the ball and in his interactions with the media, he instead acted curt and unrepentant.
Ben Stokes revealed on Wednesday that his family home was burgled while in Pakistan with England.
Captain shared details of stolen valuables on social media to catch robbers
Stokes also shared the disturbing news that his family was home at the time of the break-in two weeks ago.
And when England collapsed on the third and final morning, falling to a loss of two series out of nine, led by Stokes and Brendon McCullum, he suffered an injury as serious as Pakistan spinner Nauman Ali. Ta. It was such an impossible shot. imagine.
Who could blame him if his mind wasn’t entirely about cricket? It’s another thing to lose a personal item of sentimental value, which Stokes described as “irreplaceable.” It’s quite another thing for theft to occur when a young family is at home. And you’re nearly 4,000 miles away and unable to help.
“Thankfully, no one in my family was physically harmed,” he wrote. “But understandably, the experience has had an impact on their emotional and mental state. All we can think about is how much worse this situation could have been. ”
Stokes may not have known this on the third day of the second Test due to the time difference, but it will be weighing heavily on his mind ahead of the final.
The robbery occurred on the night of October 17, the third day of the second exam in Multan. Stokes would not have heard the news during playing time, as Pakistan were four hours ahead of England before the clocks went back at the weekend.
But he had plenty of time to ponder the gruesome nature of the incident before the decisive test began the following week. It is understood that he never told the entire team about the incident back home.
After England lost the series on 26 October, McCullum emphasized how disappointed Stokes was. He added: “It’s our job to wrap our arms around him and help him along the way.”
With England due to fly to New Zealand for a further trip in three weeks, those feelings may be more real than ever.
