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 vowed not to reduce his bowling workload.
Stokes was forced to leave the field mid-spell on the third day at Seddon Park and has yet to determine the severity of the injury.
This latest setback follows a similar hamstring issue he sustained 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 deemed 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 my ar** off to get to where I was in this game, in particular, with my body," said Stokes.
“It’s just sod’s law that the first time in a while when I feel like I’m young again, something happens. Obviously, incredibly disappointed walking off 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 isn’t until May, when they host Zimbabwe for a one-off match before the five-Test series against India.
"I worked really hard to get myself into position to play the role that 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 came during his 36th over in the match.
“When you take the emotion out of it, you realise that when you’re walking out there, you’re always putting yourself at risk of an injury," Stokes said. "So no, I’m not holding back."
- Ben Stokes
