Nottingham: England captain Ben Stokes has apologized for the club’s curfew-breaking nightclub incident ahead of Thursday’s third and final Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge.
Speaking to the media ahead of the crucial Test match, Stokes admitted that his actions had affected many, including captain Joe Root.
“Of course I apologized,” Stokes told reporters.
“That’s one of the first things I have to do as captain. You look at the situation, it affects more than just me. It affects a lot of people; it affects Joe, the team and people outside the playing environment,” he said.
The England captain acknowledged the impact the incident had on debutants Jordan Cox, Sonny Baker and James Reve.
“It’s no doubt about the boys making their debut. It should have been about them, but unfortunately a situation beyond their control on one of the biggest days of their careers, debuting for England in Test cricket,” he added.
Stokes took responsibility for the incident and stressed the importance of accountability as a captain.
“It would be foolish and naïve not to acknowledge that. It’s something you have to do as someone who has the responsibility of being a leader within a group.
“Everything is fine when things go well, but when things go wrong you have to take responsibility.
“You have to be big enough to carry it on your shoulders, look all the victims in the eye and apologize the way you need to. That’s something I did.”
The 35-year-old apologized to Root and returned to the captaincy in his absence.
“Joe Root and I have known each other since we were kids. After stepping down as captain he was thrown into a situation he didn’t expect to come back from.
“It shows not only why he is one of the game’s best on the field, but also the strength of his character to take on that responsibility last week.”
Looking ahead, Stokes said his full focus is now on helping England win the series and expressed confidence in his team’s talent.
“Now my focus is on the team and the series. We are 1-1 in the three-match series and whatever happens this week is huge for us.
“We’ve had some good series against New Zealand and we’re back at Trent Bridge where we’ve produced some special performances. Now the focus is on winning the series,” Stokes concluded.