London: England captain Ben Stokes shared that his Durham residence was burgled while he was representing the national team on a Test tour in Pakistan, urging the public to assist in recovering his valuable possessions and apprehending the thieves.
Stokes's wife, Clare, and their two children were at home during the burglary, which he described as an event orchestrated by "several masked individuals" that deeply affected his family emotionally and mentally.
Among the "unreplaceable" items taken were Stokes' OBE medal, presented to him in early 2020 for his outstanding performances in England's inaugural 50-over World Cup win in 2019 and the Ashes series that followed. He also expressed gratitude towards the police for their support to his family during his absence in Pakistan.
Stokes posted on Instagram, "PLEASE HELP US FIND THE THIEVES. On the evening of Thursday, October 17th, a group of masked individuals broke into my home in the Castle Eden area of the North East. They took away jewelry, other valuables, and a significant amount of personal items. Many of these items hold great sentimental value for me and my family. They are irreplaceable."
"I am making available photographs of some of the stolen items, in the hope that they can be identified and returned to their rightful owners. Although we have lost treasured belongings, it's important to note that my main goal in sharing these photographs is to bring the perpetrators to justice. If you have any information that could help, please contact Durham Constabulary on 101, mentioning crime reference CRI00575927."
"I also want to extend my gratitude to the police service. Their support for my family has been exceptional, both during my absence and now. They are working tirelessly to locate these individuals."
England suffered a 1-2 series defeat against Pakistan. Following a dominant win by an innings and 47 runs at Multan, the team lost the next two matches, largely due to exceptional bowling performances by the spin duo of Noman Ali and Sajid Khan.
In the two matches Stokes participated in, he managed to score just 53 runs in four innings, with a highest score of 37.
England holds the sixth position in the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25, having achieved nine victories, nine defeats, and one tie in a total of 19 games.
