Ben Stokes has opened up on return to cricket with his “parents’ love and blessing” as he prepares to start his IPL 2020 journey with the Rajasthan Royals [ RR ] in the UAE.
The England all-rounder was allowed to leave the England-Pakistan Test series in August after the first match to fly to Auckland, New Zealand, where his parents are based, as his father, Gerard Stokes, was diagnosed with brain cancer in January.
Stokes revealed that he was unclear about “how things would pan out” but eventually, it was decided that he will return to cricket.
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“Sitting in a hotel room in quarantine once again after leaving New Zealand is not how I thought I would be arriving at the IPL, but here I am and all things considered, I’m in a good place,” Stokes wrote in his column for Mirror.
“Saying goodbye to my dad, my mum and my brother in Christchurch was tough. It has been a difficult time for us as a family, but we’ve pulled together and supported each other as best we can. And I was able to get on the plane with my parents’ love and blessing after we reached the decision, for me to get back playing, as a family with no external influences.”
Stokes also wrote about some tough conversations with his parents upon his arrival in Auckland. “When I got out of quarantine in Auckland, the first week was all about seeing dad and catching up with family, but things were up in the air and there was no plan about how things would pan out,” he wrote.
"We are genuinely watching one of the great cricketers of our time, and maybe of all time."@Phil_Wisden compares Ben Stokes to the great all-rounders of years gone by on the Wisden Cricket Weekly Podcast.#ENGvWI
Listen to the full discussion here: https://t.co/KBIfS3TFNN pic.twitter.com/kuJynf5mNA
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) July 22, 2020
“I didn’t know what dad wanted, I didn’t know what mum wanted so to start that conversation off was the hardest thing of all. And then mum made it simple, she said: ‘The time you are spending here now with your dad is so much more important than the time you will spend when the worst happens.’
“That is a tough thing to hear, but when it comes from your mum and your dad is reinforcing that message, then it makes things a lot easier to deal with. My dad was also very strong on the responsibilities I have. He told me I have a duty to do the job that I do and I have a duty as a husband and father as well.
“We gave it all a lot of thought and talked it over at length, and we came to a decision that now sees me back focusing on the game and then I’ll be heading home to Clare and the kids.”
