'I sincerely apologise for the language I used' - Ben Stokes after swearing at a fan in Johannesburg

England star Ben Stokes has apologised for his angry exchange with a fan during the ongoing fourth Test against South Africa. The left-handed batsman snapped at a young fan while he was making his way to the dressing room after being dismissed cheaply towards the end of the opening day of the Test. And just before walking out of the field, he ended up swearing at the fan.

After being allegedly abused by the fans, Stokes stopped briefly and launched a furious rant before walking into the tunnel. “Come say that to me outside the ground, you f*****g four-eyed c**t,” Stokes said, according to the television footage captured. Soon after the incident, a clip of the same went viral all over the internet and as expected, it drew mixed reactions.

But before the matter could get out of hands, Ben Stokes did the damage control by issuing an apology. While calling his behaviour unprofessional, the ace allrounder issued an apology. At the same time, he also claimed that he was subjected to repeated abuse from the crowd while he was walking off the field after his dismissal.

“I wish to apologise for my language that was heard on the live broadcast today after my dismissal. I should not have reacted in that way,” Stokes said.

“As I was leaving the playing area, I was subjected to repeated abuse from the crowd. I admit that my reaction was unprofessional, and I sincerely apologise for the language I used, especially to the many young fans watching the live telecast around the world.

“Throughout the Tests so far, the support from both sets of fans (England and South Africa) has been brilliant. One incident will not ruin such a competitive series, which we are determined to win,” he added.

pic.twitter.com/QHhSybdn6O

— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) January 24, 2020

England in control

As far as the match is concerned, England ended the day on a promising 192 for 1.  Zak Crawley starred with the bat by scoring his maiden Test fifty on a rain-shortened opening day. Crawley (66) and Dom Sibley (39) shared England’s first century opening partnership since the start of 2017 before the visitors suffered a collapse that saw them getting reduced to 157 for 4 from 107 for 0.

Captain Joe Root and in-form Ollie Pope then took the tourists safely through to the close in deteriorating light. There was no play before lunch due to rain. England, meanwhile, lead the four-match series 2-1.

Here’s the video of the incident:

Ben Stokes gna be in trouble again calling a kid a four eyed cunt in the crowd 😂 #SAvsENG pic.twitter.com/SIB3ijovY2

— Lee Mac (@leemacsfc) January 24, 2020