Ben Stokes has released a plea for information after his Durham home was burgled while he was on tour in Pakistan, and revealed “the impact on the emotional and mental state” of his family that the ordeal has had.
Stokes’ wife, Clare, and their two children were in the house at the time of the masked burglary. “All we can think about is how much worse this situation could have been,” the England Test captain said in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter. The burglary occurred on the evening of October 17, between days three and four of the second Multan Test, which Pakistan won by 152 runs.
Among the “irreplaceable” items stolen was Stokes’ OBE medal, awarded in early 2020 following his heroics in the 2019 World Cup final and the Ashes that followed. He shared photos of this, among several other missing items, in an attempt to aid in the pursuit of those responsible. However, Stokes made clear that his “sole motivation in sharing these photographs is not the recovery of material items. It is to catch the people who did this.
“Please come forward and contact Durham Constabulary on 101 quoting crime reference CRI00575927 if you think that you have any relevant information.”
He also expressed his gratitude to the police service for their help.
“Both now and whilst I was away in Pakistan, their support for my family has been outstanding,” he said. “They continue to work incredibly hard in trying to find these people.”
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