England captain Ben Stokes has apologised to his teammates for the night out that sent the Test summer into turmoil, but refused to offer any guarantees over his long-term future.
Speaking for the first time since an incident that saw him and fast bowler Gus Atkinson issued with a written conduct warning – while being cleared of any wrongdoing in a physical altercation – Stokes revealed he had said sorry to the squad, which lost heavily at the Kia Oval in his absence.
He declared himself “back properly” for the series decider at Trent Bridge, which starts on Thursday, but declined the opportunity to say he was back for good.
“I understand there’s a lot of questions that you [the media] probably want to ask and want to hear from me, but I hope you respect, in terms of this whole week, I’m [only] focusing on this week,” he said.
“That’s where my focus is at right now. I understand there are probably some questions, but right now I’m here as captain of this team, and all I want to do is get the team focused on winning here. We are 1-1 in a three-match series and this week is massive for the team.”
Asked if he had apologised to the team when he addressed them before training on Wednesday, Stokes said: “Of course. That was one of the things I had to do as captain.
“It’s all fine, everything being fine and dandy, when it’s going well but you need to take responsibility for things as well.
“You need to be big enough and man enough to be able to take that upon your shoulders, look everyone in the eye who it’s affected and apologise how you need to apologise. That’s something I did.”
Stokes was guarded when it came to the investigation itself, and did not weigh in on the disputed matter of the midnight curfew.
He did, though, speak up for his relationship with head coach Brendon McCullum. Suggestions of a growing rift between the pair have been rife since the Ashes defeat over the winter but Stokes echoed the New Zealander in defending their bond.
“It’s been a big misconception around me and Brendon. We are genuinely very good mates,” he said.
“We certainly haven’t drifted apart, as there’s a bit of speculation about. Not agreeing on everything shouldn’t be seen as a divide between me and Brendon. You are allowed to have discussions, you are allowed to have disagreements. I feel like you need to get those things out there with each other so you can make good decisions. With me and Brendon, our relationship goes beyond me being captain and him being coach.”
Stokes is expected to receive a hero’s welcome in Nottingham, with the 35-year-old keen to acknowledge the backing he received during his brief exile.
“Over the last two weeks there has been a lot going on and the support I felt from the fans, not just of English cricket but cricket in general, was a big moment,” he said.
“It’s something I don’t want overlooked, the love and support I felt with all the speculation.”
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