SA v ENG 2020: Ben Stokes apologizes for his 'unprofessional' behavior towards crowd at Jo'Burg

Stokes was subjected to repeated abuse at Wanderers.

A dejected Ben Stokes v South Africa | Getty

Ben Stokes apologized for hitting back at the abusive spectator and calls his behavior‘ unprofessional’.

Star England all-rounder Ben Stokes is probably at his cricketing best since the World Cup last year. But he has found himself amidst controversies all the time. On the first day of the fourth Test against South Africa, Stokes got out after scoring just 2 runs and was going back to the pavilion.

A rowdy spectator hurled abuses at the all-rounder and he did not stop himself from getting back at the spectator. Stokes was called a ‘ginger c**t’ and he reacted by calling the spectator a ‘four-eyed c**t’. This incident was caught on camera and soon became viral on social media.

SA v ENG 2020: WATCH - Ben Stokes calls fan "four-eyed c***" in angry exchange

Stokes has now apologized for his reaction and said that he should not have reacted in such an ‘unprofessional’ manner.

He tweeted, “I wish to apologize for my language that was heard on the live broadcast today after my dismissal. I should not have reacted in that way. As I was leaving the playing area, I was subjected to repeated abuse from the crowd.

However, he understands that a single spectator cannot be a negative representation of the otherwise supportive crowd in the entire series.

I admit that my reaction was unprofessional, and I sincerely apologize for the language I used, especially to the many young fans watching the live telecast around the world. Throughout the Tests so far, the support from both sets of fans (England and South Africa) has been brilliant. One incident will not ruin such a competitive series, which we are determined to win.

Here is the tweet:

 
 

By Sameer Deodhar - 25 Jan, 2020

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