ENG vs NZ: Joe Root reveals a shocking truth on Ben Stokes after nightclub incident

England's star batter and interim captain Joe Root, sharing his thoughts on taking up the Test captaincy once again, stated that he is approaching the role on a match-by-match basis. He also jokingly remarked that he feels a bit envious of Ben Stokes for having the opportunity to work with head coach Brendon McCullum.

Root has been handed the team's reins for the second Test against New Zealand following an incident at a London nightclub involving Stokes. He expressed hope that he would live up to the expectations of the role. He finds himself in a very different position now compared to when he previously stepped down as captain, since relinquishing the role. Root has focused solely on his batting and has established himself as one of the finest batters in contemporary Test cricket.

"I have really enjoyed the last couple of days working with Baz in a slightly different space. That is one thing, in a small way, in a good way - I was slightly envious of that opportunity to work with someone like Baz in this sort of capacity. It has been really cool the last couple of days,” said Root.

Root was originally appointed England's captain in 2017 and has led the team in a record 64 Test matches. He officially stepped down as England's permanent Test captain on April 15, 2022, following a difficult run of just one win in 17 matches.

After winning the first Test at Lord's, Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were out at a London nightclub when they got into an altercation with club rugby players; during the scuffle, a security staff member was struck by one of the rugby players. Following this incident, the ECB dropped Stokes and Atkinson from the squad for the second Test, bringing in Jordan Cox and Jofra Archer as replacements. Root mentioned that he had spoken to Stokes since the incident last week, but preferred to keep the details of their conversation private. 

"Let's not look beyond this week. That's the most important thing, trying to deliver a really good performance this week. It's quite a young group of players. So, [I want] to offer my experience in that capacity and focus purely on trying to deliver this week,” said Root. 

He emphasised that Ben Stokes still commands the same respect in the England dressing room as he always did. Upon taking charge of the team again, Root remarked that had he been asked earlier this year about the possibility of becoming England's captain, he would have rated the odds at a mere 0.1%.

"The only thinking that came to my mind is what is the best thing for this team, and is it going to have a big effect on me and my personal life, and which outweighed the other. We played around 20 Test matches in those Covid environments and watched the rest of the world go back to normality around you,” said Root. 

Joe Root was chosen over vice-captain Harry Brook for the role. This decision was made because Brook had been implicated in an off-field incident in Wellington—a bar altercation just before a One-Day match last winter—which led to his being overlooked. The former England captain will now lead an inexperienced squad in the second Test, featuring players like Jordan Cox and Sonny Baker, who are poised to make their Test debuts.

Root had previously clarified that he decided to step down as captain because the team was not achieving good results and his relationship with the role had become unhealthy. However, he admitted that this time, it took very little deliberation for him to agree to return as England's stand-in captain.

"You are living a very different way to the rest of society. Over time that took its toll on the group but also myself. I found I ended up being so consumed with everything I wasn't the person I wanted to be and it was the right time to step away, not just because our performances weren't where they needed to be. It was a great opportunity for a fresh start for English cricket and was absolutely the right decision. It is going to be cool to experience it this side of it, the captaincy side of it with Baz and with this coaching group. I have never had more fun and got more out of a group of coaches than this one,” he added.