by England captain Ben Stokes has revealed that masked robbers broke into his home – with his wife and young children present – while he was away during the Pakistan tour.
Stokes said on social media that “a series of masked individuals” broke into his home on Oct. 17 while his wife and two young children were present, with jewelry and valuables among the items stolen.
The 33-year-old confirmed that none of his family members were physically hurt by the incident but were emotionally and mentally affected, leaving Stokes – who was in Multan for England’s second Test at the time – desperate to find those involved.
In a statement published on
“They escaped with jewelry, other valuables and many personal items. Many of these items have real sentimental value to me and my family. They are irreplaceable.”
“This is a call for all help in finding the people who committed this act.”
“The worst thing about this crime is that it was committed while my wife and two small children were in the house. Luckily, no one in my family was physically harmed.”
“Understandably, however, the experience had an impact on her emotional and mental state. All we can think about is how much worse this situation could have been.”
“I am releasing photos of some of the stolen items – I hope they can be easily identified – in the hope that we can find the people responsible.”
“Although we have lost valuable possessions, my sole motivation in sharing these photos is not the recovery of material items. It’s more about catching the people who did this.”
“Please contact Durham Constabulary on 101 quoting crime reference CRI00575927 if you believe you have relevant information.
“Finally, I would like to thank the police. The support from my family has been excellent both now and during my stay in Pakistan. They continue to work incredibly hard to find these people.”
Stokes missed the first Test of England’s three-Test tour with a hamstring injury but returned for the final two games, both won by Pakistan and giving the hosts a 2-1 series win.
The second Test ended the day after the collapse when Stokes was dismissed for 37 as Pakistan claimed a 152-run victory and leveled the series.
Stokes added just 15 runs in the two innings in the series decider, making no public reference to the slump after Pakistan secured a nine-wicket win.
England’s Test team is next in action when they tour New Zealand in November and December, with a two-day warm-up against a New Zealand cricket eleven starting November 23 before a two-Test series in Christchurch on November 28.
