England captain Ben Stokes apologizes to his team after showing frustration during the third evening of the second Test against Pakistan in Multan. With England losing grip on the game due to a series of dropped catches and fielding errors, Stokes admitted to momentarily losing his composure during a crucial phase of Pakistan’s second innings. Recently returned to the squad following a nine-week absence due to a hamstring injury, Stokes said he felt like a “tired and grumpy old man” when he let his emotions get the better of him as Brydon Carse was bowling.
Carse had just dismissed Mohammad Rizwan, offering England a glimmer of hope to restrict Pakistan to under 150 in their second innings. However, two dropped catches in quick succession—first by Jamie Smith off Salman Agha and then by Joe Root—shifted the momentum in Pakistan’s favour.
Salman Agha capitalized on the errors, scoring a pivotal 63 from 89 balls, effectively turning the game against England. Shortly after, when Jack Leach fumbled a ball at point, Stokes let out a roar of frustration—an unusual outburst for the typically composed captain. “I apologized to the group last night,” Stokes said. “It’s the first time as captain that I’ve let my emotions show like that. Nobody intends to drop catches, but it’s a reminder of how crucial they are, especially in these conditions. I was tired and grumpy, but I assure everyone it won’t happen again.” England’s head coach, Brendon McCullum, defended Stokes, attributing his reaction to frustration over the game’s flow rather than displeasure with the players. England will have the opportunity to bounce back in the series finale against Pakistan, starting on October 24th.
