England captain Ben Stokes revealed he seriously considered leaving the Test series in Pakistan in October due to a burglary at his home. However, he shared that his wife insisted he stay with the team to finish the series.

After the Pakistan tour, Stokes posted a detailed message on his official X account, explaining that a gang had broken into his house and stolen valuable items. On November 1, a 32-year-old man from North Yorkshire was arrested in connection with the burglary.

When asked if he had thought about returning to England right away, the all-rounder responded, as quoted by BBC Sport:

“I did actually. It was my wife who told me not to. I always tell the lads that kind of stuff comes first. I asked my wife and she was adamant that I needed to stay out there.”

Stokes had been dealing with injury issues before traveling to Pakistan, as a hamstring strain kept him out of the home series against Sri Lanka. He missed the first Test against Pakistan, leading to Ollie Pope stepping in as captain. After returning for the last two Tests, Stokes struggled with the bat as England lost the series 2-1.

“I physically drained and ruined myself”- Ben Stokes

Stokes expressed frustration with his teammates during the series in Pakistan over dropped catches, but later apologized. The 33-year-old recently stated that recovering from his injury left him exhausted in many ways. The veteran pledged not to repeat that experience, saying:

“I became so focused on my recovery from injury for an extended period that I physically drained and exhausted myself. It definitely affected me mentally.”

“It’s made me realize I can’t let myself go down that path again, because it not only impacts me but also the team. There’s no doubt my frustration was evident when things weren’t going well.”

England’s first Test against New Zealand begins on November 28 in Christchurch.

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The post “It Was My Wife Who Told Me Not To” – Ben Stokes Considered Withdrawing From The PAK vs ENG 2024 Test Series After A Burglary At His Home appeared first on Cricfit.