The English skipper, Joe Root is going through a purple patch in his career as he has often termed as an incredible athlete and above all, an inspirational captain is how England all-rounder, Ben Stokes described his skipper on the momentous occasion of his 100th Test match. Stokes also said that it was a privilege for him to hand over Root his 100th Test cap, Stokes said a winning start to the four-Test series would be a perfect gift for Root.
Describing the same, as per the quotes in the Guardian, Ben Stokes said, “It would be the perfect way to round off a very special few days for Joe (Root). What a proud thrill it was to be asked to present our captain Joe Root with his 100th cap in a team gathering before the game. These are special moments that you carry with you through your career and it was great to be able to mark the moment with a few heartfelt words.”
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He further added, “For most people, Joe is an incredible athlete, one of the very best batsmen the game has seen, and an inspirational captain and leader. But for some, he is also just Joe who is a kind and thoughtful person and a down-to-earth lad from Sheffield who happens to be really good at cricket.”
Describing Root’s down-to-earth, Stokes referred to his involvement in the nightclub brawl in Bristol in September 2017 in the middle of an ODI series against the West Indies. After that incident, he had to miss the second Test match against India due to a subsequent trial in 2018. He also lost his apparel sponsorship with New Balance.
Stokes explained, “And that wasn’t just publicly in the media, but in private too. He was going through his own tough time down in Australia but he stayed in constant contact and that meant a huge amount to me. It is why in situations where he needs me, I will do anything I can for him. If people wonder why I’d run through a brick wall for him, it is because of this.”
Ben Stokes said he was proud to be Root’s deputy as they make a good team.
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Elaborating the same, Stokes said, “I couldn’t be more proud to be his vice-captain, a position that looked a long way off not too long ago, but even on this issue his loyalty towards me has never wavered,” he said. I like to think we make a good team and we have different skills that can hopefully work well to help the team.”
