The first that summer was a series of one-on-one talks held at St George’s Park, England’s national football centre, where the team had gathered for medical examinations, in which he set out his vision. Since then, they have taken the form of whole-group speeches, usually a review of the values and ethics that have been cultivated (and challenged) over the past two years.
This time, however, Stokes took a different tack. With the team gathered in Queenstown ahead of Thursday’s series opener against New Zealand at Hagley Oval, the captain stood up and, in his words, “cleared things up with the boys”.
Even with that mitigating factor, the weeks back home allowed Stokes to reflect that the image and negative energy he had projected was at odds with the leader he wants to be. The desire to regain fitness and his visible exasperations were, in his view, selfish: counterproductive to the calm atmosphere in the dressing room that he sees as a key pillar for a still-improving England team.
“It was one of my toughest trips,” Stokes said. “But also one that I have benefited greatly from.
“I had my hamstring injury, and as soon as I was able to get going again, I focused on a date to come back. I worked incredibly hard for a very, very long period of time. And then when we got to Pakistan Obviously pushing myself and pushing myself and trying hard to prepare for that first test, I made a late call and then tried to prepare for the second test.
“I’ve been pretty honest with myself and also with Baz and the team, which is why I focused so much individually on myself for a long period of time trying to recover from an injury.
“I actually got physically exhausted and broke, which definitely had some kind of mental impact on me. I almost worked too hard to get back into shape and then suddenly I was left out in a Test match.
“It made me realize that being a captain, being a leader of this team, I can’t get into that kind of area ever again, focusing so much on myself as an individual. And there’s no doubt that my frustration was showing when things They weren’t going the way we wanted.
“That definitely has an impact not only on the players around me, but also on the group and the management around you. Because everyone walks on eggshells around you, because they can feel it. But it wasn’t until I got to “I realized that then, obviously, with the robbery, that made everything more for me.”
Stokes’ words in Queenstown were understood to have been well received, with an encouraging sense that such an apology was not necessary, but they were appreciated nonetheless. A big part of Stokes’ captaincy is looking out for others, whether it’s deflecting praise or protecting them from criticism.
In a year in which England have lost as many Tests as they won (seven), plus a destabilizing injury and a home invasion, failing to meet those high standards is humane. However, the drive to improve is admirable ahead of what will be a challenging three-match series against the Blackcaps.
“For me it was realizing that, well, okay, if I ever find myself in this situation again, maybe I need to take a step back and think about what’s best for the team,” he added. “Because I feel like when you’re in a position that I’m in, you always need to focus on that, instead of yourself, if that makes sense.
“It was nice to get home, relax, rest… you know, evaluate Pakistan, individually, which I think should help the team move forward again. I think it’s another step forward for me as a leader, as well as for me.” . understand certain things that I need to improve on.
If Stokes wants to recover, he couldn’t have picked a better place. Of course, he was born here in Christchurch before moving to Cumbria at the age of 12.
He tends to become angry when his New Zealand roots are mentioned, mainly out of cynicism that his background is often used to discredit his Englishness. But Stokes is still very proud of his Kiwi roots. That was particularly evident when he and Blackcaps captain Tom Latham led their teams in the Mini Whakatau, a traditional Maori welcoming ceremony, on the grounds of Hagley Oval.
England know not to expect such a warm welcome on the field, having failed to win a series in four consecutive visits since 2008, but things are a little different for Stokes. Family ties remain strong in the South Island’s largest city, led by his mother, Deborah. And while Stokes’ motivation to push England forward remains strong, the scenario adds a unique emotional layer for the England captain.
“This is a great place to tour for the team, but obviously for me it’s more than that,” he said. “It’s a chance to see family, to catch up with family I can’t see. You know, almost all the Stokes family are in Christchurch. They’re coming to the Test match this week.
“I left before the team to surprise my family. Only a couple of them knew. They managed to keep it a secret. So this tour, obviously, is about more than just cricket for me. I try to enjoy this country as much as I can.” as much as I can. It’s a great place to tour, but yeah, it’s great for me to be able to see people that I don’t see that often and there’s more for me than everyone else here.”
Vithushan Ehantharajah is associate editor of ESPNcricinfo
