BLAZER GLORY
ROOT LEAVES A NOTE IN STOKES’ JACKET, TELLING STAND-IN SKIPPER TO ‘DO IT HIS WAY’ IN FIRST TEST AGAINST WEST INDIES
BEN STOKES has revealed Joe Root left a note with his new captain’s blazer urging the rookie England skipper to be his own man in today’s first Test against the West Indies.
The arrival of Root’s second child means he is sitting out international cricket’s big return from the coronavirus shutdown – the first meeting between two major nations anywhere in the world since March 2 – leaving Stokes in charge for the match at the Ageas Bowl.
There has been no shortage of debate about his suitability for the top job, with those in favour citing his inspirational status among the squad while the doubters recall the struggles of star all-rounders such as Andrew Flintoff and Sir Ian Botham when they added leadership to their already heavy workload.
Root (pictured) cut through all the noise by making a small but significant show of faith in his most trusted lieutenant and offered an instruction Stokes fully intends to follow.
‘The best message I have received was when I got my photos done yesterday in the blazer,’ he revealed. ‘Rooty left a message on the hanger which said, “Do it your way”. It was a handwritten note – not very well written – and I wasn’t really expecting it.
‘It was a really nice message to receive and nice for Joe to think about me doing it for the first time. There’s been a lot of opinions flying around but that was a really nice thought.’
After several months of cancellation, postponement and hiatus, the teams can provide an amount of normality for those watching and listening at home.
‘I know everybody has been craving this, certainly from a players’ point of view but I also think from a spectators’ and fans’ view. This is a massive occasion for a lot of people,’ acknowledged Stokes. ‘We know we have that responsibility on our shoulders, to go out and do justice for all those people. We can’t use no crowd as an excuse to not feel up for this game, because we know we do have hundreds of thousands of people following us and wanting us to do well back home watching us on TV.
‘We’re walking out on the field to represent our country. When you have the three lions on your chest, you can’t feel any prouder in the sport that we play.
‘You don’t lose that feeling just because there is nobody in the stands.’