ENG vs NZ: Here is why Ben Stokes took off his blazer during toss at Lord’s

England is looking to bring their reputation back in the longest format of the game by making a positive start in the first match of the three-match Test series against New Zealand at Lord’s, starting from today. This series will kick off a new era under the new captain, Ben Stokes, and a new head coach, Brendon McCullum.

England is sitting at the bottom of the ICC WTC table by winning only one match among 12 matches. They are coming off two consecutive Test series defeats against Australia and West Indies. On the other hand, New Zealand is currently in sixth place in the WTC table by winning two matches out of six.

However, England’s new Test captain took a surprising decision as he came out for the toss without wearing the traditional blazer. England Cricket’s official Twitter account shared this news along with an image showing Graham Thorpe’s name and number on a shirt.

Ben Stokes paid tribute to former England batter Graham Thorpe

Will Macpherson shared that Ben Stokes took England’s captain’s blazer off for his first toss. He was just wearing a playing shirt for paying tribute to former England batter and coach Graham Thorpe as he was seriously unwell last month.

According to the Professional Cricketer’s Association, Graham Thorpe fell seriously ill last month. On the behalf of the former England batter’s family, the PCA issued a statement. It said:

“Graham Thorpe has recently fallen seriously ill and is currently in hospital receiving treatment. His prognosis is unclear at this stage and we ask for privacy for him and his family at this time. Our thoughts are with Graham and his family.”

Speaking about the match, New Zealand won the toss and opted to bat first. However, England’s pacer James Anderson stunned both Kiwi openers on his comeback as New Zealand was six for two in five overs into the match. Jonny Bairstow took two outstanding grabs in the slip cordon to complete those dismissals.