Ben Stokes. (Source – Getty Images)
England captain Ben Stokes publicly apologized to his team for displaying frustration during the second Test match against Pakistan in Multan. The incident took place when England’s control over the game slipped away due to fielding lapses and dropped catches, ultimately leading to a 152-run defeat for the visitors.
The second Test of the three-game series saw Pakistan secure a brilliant victory, leveling the series at 1-1. This win was particularly significant for the hosts, as it was their first Test victory at home since 2021. The Pakistan Cricket Board had made notable changes to the squad following their loss in the first Test, dropping key players like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah.
Pakistan’s strong performance began with winning the toss and electing to bat first. They put up a formidable total of 366 runs in their first innings, thanks to a century from debutant Kamran Ghulam and valuable contributions from Saim Ayub and Mohammad Rizwan. England’s response was lackluster, with only Ben Duckett managing to score a century.
We all know how passionate Ben is: Brendon McCullum
The turning point came during Pakistan’s second innings when a series of dropped catches and fielding errors allowed the hosts to set a target of 296 runs. It was during this phase that Stokes’ frustration became evident, particularly after two dropped catches off Brydon Carse’s bowling and a misfield by Jack Leach. Stokes, who had recently returned to the side after a nine-week absence due to a hamstring injury, admitted to his emotional outburst.
“I actually apologized to the group up there last night. It’s the first time in my captaincy that I’ve let my emotions show in my body language, with how I was feeling as the game was unfolding. I owned up to that, and I’m very annoyed at myself for letting that out. It’s something that I don’t want to do or be seen to be doing. No one means to drop catches, but it just proves how important catches are out in these subcontinent conditions because they don’t come along that often. So I apologized to the group and said that was poor of me. I was a tired and grumpy old man last night. You won’t see that happen again,” Stokes as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
England’s head coach, Brendon McCullum, while surprised by Stokes’ apology, credited the captain’s passion to the team. McCullum praised Stokes’ determination to return from injury and perform in challenging conditions.
“I was a bit surprised, but we all know how passionate Ben is, and how much it means to him to play for England. We’ve seen that through his bloody-mindedness to get back from the injury, which was significant, and to do so in a nine-week timeframe, and in extreme conditions of 40 degrees,” McCullum told Sky Sports.