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Ben Stokes, the renowned England all-rounder of the modern cricket era, recently surprised everyone by reversing his retirement from One Day Internationals (ODIs). In a spectacular comeback series against New Zealand, the left-handed batter smashed 182 runs, establishing the highest individual score ever recorded for England in limited-overs cricket.
The 32-year-old played a pivotal role in England’s historic ODI World Cup triumph in 2019, earning the coveted ‘Man of the Match’ title in the thrilling final against New Zealand. His decision to come out of retirement has secured him a place in England’s squad for the upcoming ODI World Cup in 2023, set to commence in India on October 5th.
Stokes recently revealed his struggle with hair loss, recounting his challenges when it began at 27. He candidly shared how this issue made him feel profoundly uncomfortable.
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‘It gave me so much more confidence’: Ben Stokes
Reflecting on his journey, Stokes remembered spotting a bald patch as he watched overhead camera shots of his bowling run-up. The talented all-rounder, known for his seam bowling skills, openly shared how the hair transplant procedure had significantly boosted his confidence.
“I saw the footage of myself, and the angle would be a bird’s-eye view, straight on top. I thought, ‘God, this is getting worse and worse. I’m lucky in that I’m quite tall, so I was standing above most people. But it just got to the point where it was getting too much. So I went in, got it done, and as soon as I started seeing the results, it gave me so much more confidence, knowing that I didn’t have to worry about it as much as I did beforehand,” Stokes said as quoted by The Telegraph.
England’s red-ball skipper confessed that his self-assurance was often fueled by the presence of hair on his head, a source of compliments he cherished. He also believed that discreet hair transplant procedures are no longer the norm.
“Men and hair, it’s a thing. The procedures used to be kept quiet. It was almost one of those things where you didn’t want people to know you had had it done. As people get older, they want to have a good head of hair. I know how I felt, from all the compliments I received. It gives you so much confidence. The stigma and the secretiveness have gone,” the Christchurch-born cricketer added.
