London, March 24 England Test captain Ben Stokes has described the past three months, which included a challenging Ashes campaign, as the "most difficult" period of his leadership journey, while reiterating his commitment to rebuilding the team with coach Brendon McCullum.
Following confirmation from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) that Stokes, McCullum, and managing director Rob Key would continue in their roles despite England's 4-1 defeat in the Ashes, the 34-year-old shared an emotional open letter on social media on Monday.
"Being the captain of England is the greatest honor a player can receive, and I do not take it for granted. It has its ups and downs, it makes you want to smile, it makes you want to cry," Stokes said in a post with a picture of himself, Key, and McCullum on Instagram.
"It completely and utterly consumes you and feels like it's the only thing in your life at times. The last 3 months has undoubtedly been the most difficult period of my captaincy journey. It has tested me in so many different ways, and I am sure every other captain has also gone through this," he wrote.
Emphasizing that lessons have been learned from the setbacks, Stokes asserted that he is committed to rebuilding the team alongside McCullum and Key.
"Baz, Rob, and I have the passion and desire to take this team forward. We are going to give you everything we have. We know we made mistakes along the way, and we have learned from those mistakes. You learn more from failure than from success," he said.
England's tour of Australia was marred by poor planning, substandard performances, selection mistakes, and player misconduct, including concerns about alcohol consumption.
Reflecting on the personal toll and motivation, Stokes added that he still has a lot to give as a leader.
"I have learned a lot about myself, but the most important thing that I want the fans to know is that... I love cricket, I love this team, I love being the captain of England, and I have so much more to give to this role, and I am so happy that I get to do it with Baz and Rob," he said.
Stokes, who hasn't played since the fifth Ashes Test earlier this year in January, also thanked supporters for their backing during a challenging period and vowed to repay their faith.
"We all appreciate every single person who supports us. We do what we do for many reasons, but one of those reasons is to bring our supporters and fans happiness and a sense of pride, and we will aim to do those things as much as we can in the future."
"See you all in June for the start of the Test Match season," Stokes said.
England will begin their home season on June 4 with the Test series against New Zealand.