England captain Joe Root has backed all-rounder Ben Stokes, who has withdrawn from the India series due to mental health concerns. During this time, the all-rounder would also recover from a finger injury. Root has stated that Stokes must take as much time as he needs to improve his mental health, adding that his teammate and friend should be fine in all instances. Here is Joe Root About Ben Stokes.
The players’ lives have been considerably more difficult by their bio-bubble existence. Furthermore, Ben Stokes was out of the sport after suffering a finger injury previously this year in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Joe Root About Ben Stokes
While the ECB did not hurry him back to the national team after the Sri Lanka series, COVID cases in the limited-overs group compelled Ben Stokes to return for the Pakistan ODIs and head a 2nd or 3rd string lineup.
Joe Root followed the ECB’s remarks, saying that Ben Stokes has the team’s total cooperation and that now is the opportunity for him to focus on his health, with cricket taking a back seat in this scenario. “From my point of view, I just want my friend to be OK. Anyone who knows Ben, he always puts other people first”.
“Now is an opportunity for him to put himself first, to take time to look after himself and get to a good place again. Hopefully, that can be sooner rather than later. Cricket has to be a secondary thought, a long way down the line, and he should take as much time as he needs”.
I had a conversation with Ben and that’s when I found out: Root
“He’s got my full support on that and he’s been assured he’s got the full support of the ECB. And certainly, he’s got the whole team’s support. More than anything, we just want Ben to be OK. He’s got everyone behind him,” Root said.
Joe Root also said that he had a phone conversation with Ben Stokes during which he knew about health issues. The England captain also said that the cricketer’s confidentiality must be respected at this space and that Stokes should be given the time he needs to solve the problem.
“I had a conversation with Ben and that’s when I found out. The call will stay between the two of us but it was hard to see a friend like that. It’s important for people to respect his privacy to give him the best chance to deal with this in his own way,” Root added.
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