Ben Stokes in heated journalist moment after breaking the law
Ben Stokes has found himself in a tense exchange with a journalist after he was caught on camera breaking the law.
England captain Ben Stokes found himself in an awkward exchange with a local reporter while facing questioning on his e-scooter antics during Wednesday’s press conference at the Gabba.
Earlier this week, Stokes and three teammates were snapped riding e-scooters in the Queensland capital without wearing helmets, which carries a fine of $166 under the state’s road rules. Queensland Police later confirmed the trio would not be fined for the incident.
Speaking to media ahead of the second Ashes Test at the Gabba, a reporter asked Stokes: “There’s been some criticism of yourself and some teammates not wearing helmets on e-scooters around Brisbane. Do you acknowledge that that was the wrong thing to do?”
The England skipper replied: “Next time we’re on a scooter, we will wear helmets.”
The reporter pressed: “Do you think an apology is owed to Queenslanders?”
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Stokes repeated: “Next time we’re on a scooter, we’ll wear helmets.”
The reporter continued: “Are you not going to make any further comment about this, other than what you’ve just said?”
At which point the ECB media manager intervened: “No, we’re going to move on.”
Earlier in the day, Stokes told the BBC they would not be forced away from cameras and scrutiny, after a Courier-Mail front page calling them ‘Pommy Idiots’.
“If they think it is going to stop us enjoying this country when we have time off then it is not going to do that,” he said.
“Australia is the best country to tour away from cricket. There are so many things to do.
“You can go out and about and see things that only Australia has to offer, great golf courses, coffee shops and easy places to have lunch.
“We are human. We need to enjoy countries when we get the opportunity because we live in England where it is miserable, freezing cold and dark at 4pm.”
SMITH’S EYE BLACK REVEAL AMID LEGEND’S CHEEKY TEXT
It’s been nine years since Steve Smith scored a century in a day-night Test, but a text message exchange with West Indies legend Shivnarine Chanderpaul may help the Australian stand-in captain in his quest to break the drought.
Smith hasn’t reached triple figures in a pink-ball Test since December 2016, when he cracked 130 in a high-scoring contest against Pakistan at the Gabba. The right-hander has averaged 28.50 in day-night Tests since the start of 2017, managing just two fifties in 18 knocks., while during that same period he has averaged 56.53 in traditional red-ball matches.
In January last year, Smith confessed he found it “difficult to see” the pink Kookaburra, particularly during the daytime, with glare from floodlights and the sun impeding his vision.
So ahead of this week’s day-night Ashes Test in Brisbane, the New South Welshman has trialled the use of ‘eye blacks’, small adhesive strips worn on the cheekbone that absorb light that would otherwise reflect off the skin. Chanderpaul was the most prominent cricketer to use them in the Test arena, while they’re also commonplace in American sports, including the NFL.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday afternoon, Smith revealed he had reached out to Chanderpaul to seek further advice on the strips - and the Guyanese icon offered some crucial feedback.
“I actually messaged Chanderpaul and asked him what his thoughts were, whether he wore the chalk or the strips,” he said.
“He said the strips, and he thinks it blocks out 65 per cent of the glare.”
Smith added with a giggle: “He also said, ‘I’ve seen photos and you’re wearing them the wrong way’. So yesterday I put them on the right way.”
Smith continued using the anti-glare strips during a net session at the Gabba on Wednesday, with teammate Marnus Labuschagne mocking him from the adjacent net.
“Shiv mate, you’re wearing them wrong,” Labuschagne taunted.
However, despite the jeers, Smith has noticed a difference, with less glare impeding his eyesight. The 36-year-old confirmed he will continue wearing the black strips during the second Ashes Test, which gets underway on Thursday.
“I agree with (Chanderpaul),” he continued.
“I think it certainly stops the glare. I’ll be wearing them.”
Fifteen years into his Test career, Smith is still finding ways to improve his batting, forever tinkering with his stance and fiddling with his equipment.
Asked about how to tame the pink Kookaburra, he replied: “It’s a tricky one. The ball reacts obviously differently to a red one. It can change quickly. It can start moving randomly.
“You’ve got to try and play what’s in front of you at that time, and when it does shift on you and the ball starts doing something different, you’ve got to try and come up with plans to counter that, whether it be more aggressive, whether it be going to your shell and try and get through that period.”
Elsewhere, Smith couldn’t confirm Australia’s starting XI for the Gabba Test, keeping the door open for reserve wicketkeeper Josh Inglis or injured bowler Pat Cummins to return to the side.
Originally published as Ben Stokes in heated journalist moment after breaking the law
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