'No matter what I go through, I can come back'- Ben Stokes recalls battling personal demons

Ben Stokes’ on-field story is nothing less than a real-life inspiration. After being clobbered for four consecutive sixes in the final of the 2016 T20 World Cup, he played a match-winning knock in the 2019 ODI World Cup final that eventually guided England to their maiden title triumph. Over a month later, he followed it up with an exhilarating century at the Headingley Test, chasing a mammoth target, and helping the Three Lions in leveling the Ashes series 1-1.

However, a true warrior’s temperament is decided when his back is against the wall and even Stokes had to go through such a phase which was the lowest point in his personal life. The ace all-rounder battled mental health issues that took him out of action for a while and also went on to lose his father. Talking about that phase, Ben has that it was indeed a ‘vulnerable feeling’.

 I won’t let anything knock me down: Ben Stokes

“The phoenix on my arm means a hell of a lot to me. No matter what I go through, I can come back. That’s not just with sport but life too. I’ve gone through some unbelievable highs and lows on and off the field and I won’t let anything knock me down. I’ll come back as hard as I possibly can,” said Stokes as quoted by Stuff.co.nz.

“It is just a big blur, to be honest. In terms of my anxiety … it was a very vulnerable feeling, not something I could understand or control,” he said. Furthermore, the southpaw also mentioned that he had decided to completely stay away from the game on the advice of his clinical psychologist.

“He said I needed to pull myself completely away from cricket. Even to the extent of my diet and my exercise, or watching or thinking about the game. Cricket had been everything for such a long period of time, but he said I had to get as far away from it as possible because eventually, he said, something will bring me back.”

Stokes eventually went on to turn his tragedies into triumph and was named England’s Test skipper earlier this year. With him and red-ball coach Brendon McCullum at the helm of affairs, the Three Lions won four of their last five home Tests (3-0 against New Zealand and a one-off contest against India to level the series 2-2).

Nonetheless, they suffered a setback in the first Test against the WTC table-toppers South Africa with an innings defeat. The Ben Stokes-led side would be hoping to make amends in the second game at the Old Trafford, Manchester starting August 25.