Stokes Plays Down Redemption Talk After World Cup Heroics
Muhammad Rameez Published July 17, 2019 | 05:15 PM
Ben Stokes admitted memories of the off-field incident that threatened his career triggered his tears after England's historic World Cup triumph
Stokes was found not guilty of affray following a street brawl during a night out in Bristol in 2017.
The all-rounder was banned and fined by the England and Wales Cricket board after accepting a charge of bringing the game into disrepute.
Stokes was also stripped of the Test vice-captaincy and missed the Ashes tour, but he worked his way back from that chastening incident to enjoy a key role in England's first ever World Cup title.
After some impressive displays on the road to the final, Stokes cemented his place as an English cricket icon by scoring 84 not out and then starring in the Super Over that sealed Sunday's thrilling final win over New Zealand at Lord's.
"I won't look back and say I redeemed myself or anything like that - I'm an athlete and a cricketer and it's what we are paid to do, to win trophies," Stokes told ITV's Good Morning Britain on Wednesday.
"It was coming back from all of that, it was tough.
Getting back into cricket obviously massively helped straight after that.
"It was a stressful time for me, my wife, my family back home. I had amazing people around me, my team-mates, friends, family. They have to take a lot of credit for helping me to get through that." Stokes wept tears of joy on the Lord's pitch immediately after England won the World Cup and he revealed thoughts of his past had come flooding back.
"I got emotional there, at the end, and that was probably a culmination of lots of things, happiness that we won it and subconsciously thinking and remembering back to what I went through," he said.
Despite the team's euphoric celebrations following England's World Cup victory, Stokes insisted the team must start preparing for the Ashes Test series against old rivals Australia in August.
"We've achieved half of what we wanted to do, which is winning the World Cup," Stokes said.
"Everyone who is involved in the Test team as well as the one-day team has sort of had to get their heads around the fact that we have an Ashes series coming up and we still have a serious amount of work to do."
Related Topics
Recent Stories
HEC reviews curricula for environmental sciences degree programme
ICC Asia looking forward to an action-packed Asia Cricket Week
Yuvraj Singh named ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador
Greece hands Olympic flame to 2024 Paris Games hosts
Two Kyiv hospitals evacuating over feared Russian strikes
World must act on neurotech revolution, say experts
Charles & Catherine's cancer diagnoses
Champions Alcaraz and Sabalenka through in Madrid Open
King Charles to resume some public duties during cancer treatment: palace
US defense chief announces $6 bn in security aid for Ukraine
Heavy rains cause damage to Spezand-Taftan railway track
Woman stabbed in Israel, attacker killed: police
More Stories From Sports
-
ICC Asia looking forward to an action-packed Asia Cricket Week
8 hours ago -
Yuvraj Singh named ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador
8 hours ago -
Greece hands Olympic flame to 2024 Paris Games hosts
7 hours ago -
Champions Alcaraz and Sabalenka through in Madrid Open
8 hours ago -
Bagnaia hits back with record Jerez practice lap
7 hours ago -
Greece hands Olympic flame to 2024 Paris Games hosts
7 hours ago
-
Shahzaib Rind calls on Deputy Speaker Balochistan
9 hours ago -
Inter-university weightlifting championship kicks off at SAU
9 hours ago -
T20 World Cup 2024 Trophy unveiling ceremony held
9 hours ago -
Football: Italian Serie A table
10 hours ago -
Football: French Ligue 1 table
11 hours ago -
New Zealand cricket CEO visits PSCA, expresses satisfaction over security arrangements
11 hours ago