England captain Ben Stokes admitted Tuesday he became “emotional” after suffering another injury setback during the third Test defeat to New Zealand, but he would not be reducing his bowling workload.
Stokes is still to learn the severity of the “incredibly disappointing” hamstring injury recurrence which forced him from the field mid-spell on Monday’s third day in Hamilton.
He suffered the same affliction while bowling in August, sidelining him from four Tests during a two-month recovery.
Stokes did not bat in England’s second innings, with the risk of further damage not deemed worth it as the tourists crashed to 234 all out and a 423-run defeat.
The England talisman admitted he reacted negatively immediately after the injury as he contemplated another lengthy rehabilitation period, having also battled back from knee surgery earlier this year.
“I worked my arse off to get to where I was in this game, in particular, with my body,” he said.
“It’s just sod’s law that the first time in a while when I feel like I’m young again, something happens.
“Obviously, incredibly disappointed walking off yesterday, very emotional about the whole thing.”
However, Stokes said a night’s sleep had worked wonders mentally, aided by the realisation England’s next Test isn’t until May, when they host a one-off match against Zimbabwe, ahead of India’s five-Test visit.
He planned to make sure his recuperation was carried out properly before making any return to cricket.
However, he said he had no plan to reduce his bowling load, even though the latest injury came during a Test in which he was sending down his 36th over.
“When you take the emotion out of it, you realise that when you’re walking out there, you’re always putting yourself at risk of an injury,” he said.
“I worked really hard to get myself into position to play the role that I did this game, and it’s just one of those unfortunate things.
“So no, I ain’t holding back.”
