England all-rounder discusses his two extraordinary innings this summer, embracing his fears and his views on the captaincy
“The whole redemption thing?”Ben Stokes says as he raises an eyebrow on a quiet morning at Lord’s. He does not look convinced as all the intensity and the glory of the summer has long since drained away. Stokes helped England win the World Cup amid wild drama in July and then produced the most extraordinary comeback win in the history of the Ashes at Headingley six weeks later. Less than a year earlier he had been cleared of affray in Bristol’s crown court after an altercation outside a nightclub in September 2017 cost him the England vice-captaincy, his place on the last Ashes tour and threatened his freedom and career.
He shrugs and smiles in a way which shows that his pride is still streaked with hurt. “People have tried to label this as Ben’s redemption summer,” he suggests, slipping into the third person for the only time in our hour together. “I don’t see it like that at all. I see it as me going out and trying to do as well as I possibly can to help England win games.”
Written by Donald McRae
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/nov/15/ben-stokes-cricket-fears-england-captaincy-headingley-world-cup-final under the title “Ben Stokes: ‘I think I was driven by the idea of not letting anyone down’”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
