Ben Stokes is one of the most famous and celebrated cricketers of the current time. He has been involved in some of the greatest moments of England cricket. Stokes has made a name for himself for the way he conducts himself on and off the cricket field. He was also one of the few cricketers to take a break from cricket citing ‘mental health’ issues. Stokes faced a hard time carrying on with his life after his father passed away. The 31-year-old was very close with his father, who was his mentor.
Stokes was also in the news recently for deciding to walk away from ODI cricket. Indeed, his life has been eventful. A new documentary film on his life will be released on Friday, titled “Ben Stokes: Phoenix from the Ashes”. Joe Root, former England Test captain, showered praise on Stokes for his honest portrayal of the anxiety attacks he experiences. Root said that such boldness of Stokes is what epitomizes his leadership qualities.
It’s Great To See Ben Lead The Team – Root
“I think it’s exactly what you’ve come to see from Ben as a leader,” Root said at Emirates Old Trafford, where England will look to square the three-match series. “How honest he is, what he expects of everyone else is stuff he would be willing to do himself.
I think it shows great courage, great bravery to come out and speak openly about that stuff and some of the struggles he has personally been through. We were all there with him going through it, it’s not easy to see a close friend and team-mate like that but look at him now. It’s great to have him leading this team and making Test cricket so enjoyable to play and to watch.
It’s quite powerful for people to see. Sometimes it’s okay not to be okay, to ask for help is perfectly alright and a brave thing to do. For someone like Ben to do that – hopefully if there are people out there struggling or finding things difficult, they can gain the courage to ask for that help.”
