HAMILTON: England captain Ben Stokes revealed he was “emotional” after suffering a recurrence of a hamstring injury during the third Test defeat to New Zealand, but promised not to reduce his bowling workload.
Stokes was forced to leave the field midway through the third day at Seddon Park and has yet to determine the severity of the injury.
This latest setback follows a similar hamstring problem he suffered in August, which sidelined him for four Tests and required a two-month recovery period.
With England facing a heavy defeat – losing by 423 runs and being bowled out for 234 in their second innings – Stokes did not bat as the risk of further injury was considered too high.
His emotional reaction on the field was evident, especially considering his hard work to return to peak fitness following knee surgery earlier this year.
“I worked really hard to get to where I was in this game, in particular, with my body,” Stokes said.
“It’s simply the law of the world that, for the first time in a while, when I feel young again, something happens. Obviously incredibly disappointed leaving yesterday, very emotional about the whole thing.”
However, the all-rounder found solace after a night’s rest, especially as England’s next Test match is in May when they host Zimbabwe for a one-off match ahead of the five-Test series against India.
“I worked really hard to position myself to play the role I did in this game, and it’s just one of those unfortunate things,” Stokes added.
Despite the emotional turmoil, he stressed that he had no intention of reducing his bowling load, even though the injury occurred during his 36th over of the match.
“When you take the emotion out of it, you realize that when you’re walking around, you’re always putting yourself at risk of getting hurt,” Stokes said. “So no, I’m not holding back.”
