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Joe Root hails Ben Stokes for opening up on mental health issues


image-l7755b3bBen Stokes with Joe Root (PC: Twitter)

England's Test skipper Ben Stokes is a maverick on the field, but he is emotional and expresses himself quite often off the field. In the upcoming documentary — "Ben Stokes: Phoenix from the Ashes",— the all-rounder has revealed his struggles, from dealing with panic attacks infused with past trauma to coping with the loss of his father to wanting to quit cricket altogether.

A special screening of the documentary was arranged on Monday for the England cricket team, seeing which former England Test captain and friend Joe Root lauded Stokes for opening up about his vulnerability to the world.

"I think it's exactly what you've come to see from Ben as a leader. How honest he is, what he expects of everyone else is stuff he would be willing to do himself. I think it shows great courage, great bravery to come out and speak openly about that stuff and some of the struggles he has personally been through." 

Stokes' bravery can help people to get help: Root

The 31-year-old took an indefinite break from cricket in July 2021 and returned to cricket back in December 2021. Cricketers like Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, Sarah Taylor, Daniel Sams, and Suzie Bates have also talked about issues with mental health and advocated for breaks from the game.

Root also spoke about how Stokes' bravery can encourage others to come out and ask for help if needed.

"It's quite powerful for people to see. Sometimes it's okay not to be okay, to ask for help is perfectly alright and a brave thing to do. For someone like Ben to do that - hopefully if there are people out there struggling or finding things difficult, they can gain the courage to ask for that help."


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