England captain Ben Stokes has expressed regret for his outburst of frustration during the third evening of the second Test against Pakistan in Multan. The incident occurred as the match slipped away from England due to a series of dropped catches and fielding errors.
Stokes, who was making his return to the side after a nine-week absence due to a hamstring injury, admitted to behaving like a “tired and grumpy old man” when he berated his players at a critical juncture of Pakistan’s second innings. The flashpoint came during a spell of reverse-swing bowling from Brydon Carse, who had just dismissed Mohammad Rizwan for the third time in the series.
However, two overs later, Carse suffered two drops in the space of three balls, first by Jamie Smith and then by Joe Root. Salman Agha, who was dropped on 4 and 6, went on to make a match-defining 63 from 89 balls. Stokes’ frustration boiled over when Jack Leach fumbled at point to give away an unnecessary single in Carse’s subsequent over.
“I actually apologized to the group up there last night,” Stokes said afterwards. “It’s the first time in my captaincy that I’ve let my emotions show in my body language, with how I was feeling as the game was unfolding. I owned up to that, and I’m very annoyed at myself for letting that out.”
Stokes acknowledged that the challenge of getting back to match fitness had been tough, having played no competitive cricket since August. “I’ve worked so, so hard to get fit for this Test match, but nothing can prepare you for standing out on the field in hot weather,” he said.
Despite the fielding lapses, Stokes praised Carse’s performance, calling him “fantastic” and highlighting his heart, pace, and skill. England head coach Brendon McCullum agreed, saying that Carse had been the “standout” of England’s attack.
McCullum also defended Smith’s display, saying that he had been “very disappointed” about dropping the catch but that his overall keeping had been “as good as I’ve seen in these conditions.”
