Stokes, back in the squad for the first time in nine weeks after a hamstring tear ruled him out of their home series against Sri Lanka as well as last week’s first Test, told Pak Gazette that he had behaved like a “tired, grumpy old man.” “man” as he shouted at his players at a critical moment in Pakistan’s second innings.
Then, when Jack Leach fumbled the ball at point to give away an unnecessary single in Carse’s next over, Stokes let out an exasperated roar, which, while understandable in the circumstances, was out of character for a captain who has extolled a blame-free environment. over the course of his two and a half year reign.
“I actually apologized to the group that was there last night,” Stokes said afterward. “It’s the first time in my captaincy that I let my emotions show in my body language, in how I felt while the game was going on. I admitted it and I’m very upset with myself for letting it out.” .
“It’s something I don’t want to do or be seen doing,” he added. “No one intends to drop catches, but this shows how important catches are in these subcontinental conditions, because they don’t happen that often. So I apologized to the group and said it was poor of me. I was tired and grumpy last night. You won’t see that happen again.”
“I was a bit surprised but we all know how passionate Ben is and how much playing for England means to him,” McCullum told Pak Gazette. “We’ve seen it through his determination to recover from the injury, which was significant, and to do so over a nine-week period, and in extreme 40-degree conditions.
“I think maybe that’s what some of that frustration led to, it certainly wasn’t directed at any of the players,” he added. “It was more about trying to gauge the pace of the game and impact it. But look, it’ll be better for the run. And I thought about the second inning. [where he made 37 from 36 balls] It seemed like he had this method with which he could pressure the opposition. “He’s at his best when he does that.”
Stokes himself acknowledged that the challenge of returning to fitness had been difficult, having not played competitive cricket since tearing his hamstring while batting in the Hundred in August.
“I have worked very, very hard to get fit for this Test match, but nothing can prepare you to excel on the field when the weather is hot,” he said. “Training doesn’t do that, so it was great to get through this test match, it fills me up really well going into next week, and it was also good to get a few overs under my belt. That was the one. “What I felt was that I was missing But obviously, when you get into the game and you feel like it’s on the line, nothing can stop me from doing that.”
“It’s been fantastic,” Stokes said. “In these two games he has shown why we pick him in all formats, not just Test cricket, going forward. He keeps attacking, ball after ball, spell after spell. Obviously, when the ball starts swinging back, comes into play even more. Having his hitting ability back in the order is huge for us. It’s been really good and it’s going to increase his value even more than it already was.”
McCullum agreed that Carse had been the “standout” of England’s attack. “I wouldn’t say I was surprised, because he had the reputation of someone who could throw at a good pace with a big heart, to continue attacking with a dizzying rebound,” he said. “To be able to do it in England is one thing, to do it on a surface that didn’t offer much for fast bowlers is just extraordinary. “We’re trying to build a battery of fast bowlers, and Carse has certainly managed to put his name on it. that.”
As a former Test goalkeeper, McCullum also defended Smith’s display in the wake of his costly error on the third night. After three good takes in the first innings, it was a rare blot on what has been a good start to Smith’s England career, while his twin scores of 21 and 6 represented his lowest contribution with the bat over the course of eight tests.
“You’re not going to get a tougher set of conditions to keep wicket in,” McCullum said. “Jamie is very disappointed to have dropped that catch. But other than that, I thought his defense was as good as I’ve seen in these conditions, particularly from a foreign goalkeeper.
“He continues to impress and obviously in both innings he is trying to put pressure on the opponent on that surface, which is very difficult, but that is his natural game. “He is becoming a really important player for us.
“But that’s where you also have to have the ability to turn the page pretty quickly, because if you ever let your mistakes dictate your attitude and your confidence, then you’re in for hell. The mistakes in this game are I’ll be a part of this, but the “99% of what Jamie has done in this Test match has been absolutely outstanding and that will be the message for him.”
Andrew Miller is UK editor for Pak Gazette. @miller_cricket
