'It hurt me': Ben Stokes explodes over Joe Root backlash after owning up to England curfew sins

'It hurt me': Ben Stokes explodes over Joe Root backlash after owning up to England curfew sins originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:Stokes apologises to teammates after curfew breach led to his suspension. • >He says Joe Root's public criticism as stand-in captain "hurt" him deeply. • >Stokes and Atkinson return for third Test, stress unity ahead of Trent Bridge.Ben Stokes opens up on curfew fallout, says Root backlash 'hurt' himBen Stokes has broken his silence over being dropped from the second Test against New Zealand for disciplinary reasons, admitting he has personally apologised to his teammates and found it deeply painful watching Joe Root face criticism while filling in as captain.

>The 35-year-old was withdrawn ahead of England's heavy 253-run loss at the Oval after he and teammate Gus Atkinson breached the squad's curfew following their win in the series opener at Lord's.

>That episode set off two turbulent weeks within English cricket, fuelling talk of friction between Stokes and the coaching staff, alongside rumours he might even consider walking away from the game entirely.

>MORE: 'Some people don't learn': Botham believes Stokes could lose England captaincy

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Stokes has since returned to lead the side again, having gone through a formal disciplinary process that ended with a written warning from the ECB, while the independent Cricket Regulator found no case against him worth pursuing further.

>Speaking ahead of the series-deciding third Test at Trent Bridge, the all-rounder tried to shift attention toward the importance of the upcoming match rather than dwell on the controversy.

>Asked directly whether he had apologised to his teammates, particularly given how badly an inexperienced side struggled in his absence, Stokes confirmed it was among the very first things he did as captain.

>“Of course [I apologised]. That was one of the first things I had to do as a captain," he told reporters.

>Stokes explained that the situation reached far beyond himself, affecting Root, the wider squad, and people outside the playing group too.

“You look at the situation, and it affects more than just myself. It affects a lot of people. It affected Joe Root, the squad, the people outside the playing environment," he said.

"It no doubt had an effect on lads who were making their debut. That should have been all about them. Unfortunately a situation outside of their control took precedence over their big days, making their debut for England in Test cricket. It would be stupid and naive of me not to acknowledge and address that. It’s something you do have to do, as someone who has the responsibility of being a leader in a group.

>“It’s all well everything being fine and dandy when it’s all going well, but you need to take responsibility for things as well. You need to be big enough and man enough to take that upon your shoulders, and look everyone who it has affected in the eye and apologise the way you need to apologise. That is something that I did.”

"The process has been done"

Ben Stokes is back to captain England against New Zealand in the third Test of the series pic.twitter.com/ALEnbDGO4S

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 24, 2026Watching Root take the heat was hard, Stokes admitsTurning to Root, who stepped back into the captaincy for the Oval Test but suffered his 27th defeat in the role, Stokes didn't hide how much the public reaction affected him personally.

>“Seeing the effect that I had on Joe from public opinion was hard to see and read from my point of view," Stokes said.

>"It shouldn’t take away the courage that Joe showed in taking that on that week. It would have been very, very easy for him to have said: ‘No, I don’t need this.’ But yet again he put the team first that he’s done on multiple occasions.”

>MORE: Stokes relationship with Key and McCullum hits new low

Stokes lent support for Atkinson through a difficult first experienceAtkinson is also returning to the side after facing his first off-field controversy in Test cricket. Stokes revealed the two had spoken often during the saga and the captain put his weight firmly behind the pacer.

>Stokes said: “I spoke with Gus quite a lot over the period. I said to him: ‘It’s not my first rodeo, being in something like this, mate.’

>“It is tough, hard to go through, but it will be all right. Take my advice: just let time do its thing.’ When you’re going through something like this for the first time, like Gus has done, you don’t really know what it’s going to be like. Even though I know what it is like, it still doesn’t make it any easier.

>“He’s the same as me. He said: ‘The most important thing for me and you is getting back into the team and making sure the other team members know that me and you are totally focused on the team and the result this week.’"

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