Joe Root has never been anything but a good man towards me: Ben Stokes

England all-rounder Ben Stokes opened up about the depth of his friendship with his former skipper Joe Root, who has stepped down as Test captain. Root and Stokes have been playing together for England for a long time now and they have been two pillars of the side as well. More than the on-field partnerships, Stokes mentioned a lot of things that he had to face during his career and explained how Root had stood by his side during the tough times.

Root ended his captaincy career as the most successful captain of England in the longest format with 27 wins in 64 Tests. He had been performing consistently with the bat for his side despite the results not going his way and it was only a matter of time until he made the decision as England won just one of their last 17 Tests.

It is that mutual support that has helped make it so special: Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes mentioned that his relationship with Root is more than just teammates and noted about sharing a lot of memories with him on and off the field. He also revealed how Root stood with him during his difficult times and recalled the Bristol incident which had turned his loyalty towards the former. The 30-year-old also was happy to receive support from Root during his indefinite break from cricket last year.

“Our relationship goes deeper and further than just team-mates. We are good friends and have been for a long time. We’ve had some great moments on and off the field during this time and we’ve also had some pretty difficult ones too and it is that mutual support that has helped make it so special. When I took my break from the game in 2021, Joe was brilliant,” Stokes wrote in his column on Daily Mirror.

“He (Root) said: ‘I just want my friend to be alright.’ The cricket came second, his concern was for my well-being full stop. And going back a few years now to the Bristol incident, that was where my captain really went to bat for me. That is where my total loyalty towards Joe comes from, and he will always have it because he has never been anything but a good man towards me and the rest of his players.” he added.