Ben Stokes has apologised to his England teammates after missing the second Test for disciplinary reasons and admitted this is “highest amount of pressure” he and Brendon McCullum have been under as captain and head coach.
Stokes and Gus Atkinson were stood down before the 253-run defeat at the Oval, having broken the team’s midnight curfew after their victory in the first Test at Lord’s. It triggered a fortnight of acrimony in English cricket, with suggestions of a rift between Stokes and the management, as well as a threat to retire.
