England Twenty20 captain Stuart Broad has revealed that Ben Stokes is "heartbroken" at having to miss the upcoming World Cup through injury.
Stokes has been ruled out of the tournament with a broken hand after punching a locker in frustration during the team's recent series win in the West Indies.
Despite the all-rounder's absence, Broad believes that incident will provide a "learning curve" for Stokes.
"He stood up and apologised to the team and was borderline in tears thinking he had let not just himself but his teammates down and missed the chance to go to a World Cup," he is quoted as saying by Sky Sports News.
"At 22, that is a major thing in his career so far. He has had a fantastic winter and it has been a pleasure to tour with him.
"Unfortunately he is going to be out for a couple of months probably. He was heartbroken and made his feelings very public to the guys and this will be a learning curve for him."
Stokes has been replaced in the squad by Warwickshire all-rounder Chris Woakes.