CHRISTCHURCH — Ben Stokes has revealed he held clear-the-air talks with England’s squad at the start of this tour of New Zealand after realising he had let the team down by being too selfish and difficult to deal with during last month’s series defeat in Pakistan.

England’s captain cut a frustrated figure during a tour that started with him missing the first Test after failing to overcome the hamstring injury he sustained playing in the Hundred in August.

By the time he returned for the second Test in Multan, Stokes admits he was “physically drained and ruined”, explaining his poor form and uncharacteristically timid captaincy as England lost the final two matches of the series to fall to a 2-1 defeat.

He also had to deal with the news that his house in County Durham had been burgled while his family were at home during the second Test, something he only told coach Brendon McCullum about and kept from his team-mates at the time

Now, though, back in Christchurch, the city of his birth and where his family live, Stokes cut a relaxed and re-energised figure.

“Pakistan was one of my hardest trips but also one that I’ve hugely benefited from,” he said on the eve of the opening Test against New Zealand at Hagley Oval.

“I’ve been pretty honest with myself and pretty honest with Baz and the team as well that I got so individually focused on myself over a very long period of time trying to get back from injury, I did actually physically drain and ruin myself, which definitely had some kind of mental impact on me.

“It’s made me realise being a captain, I can’t take myself into that sort of area ever again – focusing on myself so much, because not only does it have an impact on myself, but also it has a massive impact on the team.

“There’s no doubt that showed. My frustration was showing when things weren’t quite going our way. Everyone’s sort of treading on the eggshells around you, because they can sense it. It wasn’t until I got home I realised. If I ever find myself in this situation again, I need to take a step back and think about what’s best for the team.

“It was nice to get home, relax, assess Pakistan individually, which I think should hopefully help the team going forward. It’s another step forward for me as a leader.

“When you’re at home and you finish the series, that’s probably when you start realising stuff, and then pick up the phone, speak to a few people and you just sort of talk it out, and then you realise what you’ve done. And then I go right, I’m not doing that again. I cleared the air pretty early on with the lads when they got into Queenstown.”

Stokes also admitted he wanted to go home after learning of the burglary at his family home but was convinced to stay on tour by his wife, Claire.

“I did actually [want to go home], but it was my wife who told me not to. Obviously when stuff like that happens, I always tell the lads that kind of stuff always comes first. But yeah, I asked my wife, and she was adamant I needed to stay out there.”

Stokes only bowled 10 overs in Pakistan as he attempted to manage his hamstring injury but now says he is fully fit for this three-match series in New Zealand.

“I’m completely over the injury now,” he said. “Injury wise, I was definitely fit, but the amount of physical work I put my body through over that 9-10, week period definitely took its toll on my whole body. I’m now completely over the injury and raring to go.”

Back in New Zealand, where he lived up to the age of 12 before moving to Cumbria with his family, Stokes, whose mental health struggles have been well documented in the past, has been able to spend quality time with his mother, Deborah, brother James and various other relatives.

“Pretty much the whole of the Stokes family is in Christchurch,” he said. “They’re coming down to the Test match this week. I came out earlier than the team to surprise my family. Only a couple of them knew. So, this tour is more than just cricket for me.”

Stokes spent part of his pre-tour time in Christchurch watching the racehorse McCullum named after him and asked whether “Stokes” would be at the Hagley Oval this week, he joked: “If there’s any man who could get a horse into a cricket ground, it’s Brendon McCullum.”