Ben Stokes urges England not to rip it up and start again despite Ashes failure
SOURCE:The Athletic|BY:Tim Spiers
The tourists have named a 12-man squad including Shoaib Bashir and Matthew Potts as they look to end a difficult series on a high in Sydney
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Almost two months since they arrived — and after only 13 days of cricket — England’s failed Ashes campaign draws to a close in Sydney over the next few days.
It has been a chastening tour for many of the group, even after last week’s win in Melbourne, with the Ashes lost in a post-war joint-record time and the positions of senior players and staff inevitably now thrown into doubt.
However, while the recriminations of losing a fourth consecutive Ashes tour in Australia — the combined Test match score is 16-1 — will take a while to play out after England fly home next week, not least with a T20 World Cup looming large, the team sound sincere when saying they believe there’s still plenty to play for in Sydney first.
“There is a big difference (between 4-1 and 3-2),” opening batter Zak Crawley said on Friday. “Just internally in the group, it shows a lot about how united we are if we can get a win. It might not go our way, but if we can put in a good performance this week I think it shows a lot about us.”
Zak Crawley leaps highest to claim a catch during an England training session on the outfield at the SCG (Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
An Ashes defeat can often lead to regime change. Head coach Chris Silverwood and team director Ashley Giles lost their jobs shortly after the 2021-22 thrashing, and there are question marks over their 2026 equivalents Brendon McCullum and Rob Key.
Captain Ben Stokes has been unequivocal in his desire to continue — and he wants McCullum alongside him.
“Ashes tours in the past haven’t gone well, but if you do what we did four years ago, we’ll just end up back in the same situation,” Stokes said. “I can’t see there being someone else who I could take this team (with) from where we are now to even bigger heights.
“We’ve put so much time and effort into getting this team to where it was from when we first started. And now we’re in a sort of situational position where we know we want to get even more out of the group; to get even more out of individuals.
“Being perfectly honest, you look back at how things have gone over the last, let’s say, year; the results and the consistency hasn’t quite been there from the first two and a half to three years that we were in charge.
Ben Stokes has flung his support behind Brendon McCullum (Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
“When you start seeing a trend and something that’s not what you want, then when you have that time off in between series like we do after this in January and I think June, is it? Yeah, it’s a long time for us to get things going again in the right direction.
“There is no doubt in my mind that me and Brendon are the right people to carry on doing this for the near future.”
Stokes admitted England have “left a lot out there” in terms of performances, with preparation and bad execution among their mistakes. In terms of changes, a fielding coach will “definitely” be appointed in the near future.
One thing that won’t change is Stokes’ role within the batting and bowling ranks. While some have called for him to take a more prominent role with either bat or ball, Stokes says his position remains unchanged — and that age is taking its toll on his body.
“When you get older you do have to work harder away from the sport to keep where I am at the moment,” he said. “Everything becomes a bit harder, it gets harder getting out of bed in the morning.
“But the competitiveness within me takes over when you get out there. When the game finishes, everything feels a little bit sorer. To do all the stuff in the gym, to go out running, all that stuff, to get going again. It’s the stuff you have to do to keep going. I have a contract until the end of 2027, so there’s a lot more I want to keep doing. I will keep working hard to make sure that is out on the field.
“I’ve heard I should be batting at No 3 and now I should open the bowling as well, plus captaincy. My role with the ball is as the third or fourth seamer depending on the situation and conditions.
“Pick a bowling lineup, saying: ‘This is your role in this game.’ To then go elsewhere in the middle of a game doesn’t send the right message to someone.”
Ben Stokes bowls during a nets session at the Sydney Cricket Ground (Robbie Stephenson/PA Images via Getty Images)
Ten days ago all the talk in Australia was of Ben Duckett and England’s drinking habits, but the opener responded with a tone-setting 34 off 26 balls in the quickfire second innings chase in Melbourne.
Stokes, who praised Ollie Pope’s reaction to being dropped in the level of support he gave his team-mates, admitted “not much has gone right” for Duckett in Australia. That 34 is his highest score in the series so far.
“The most important thing there was to make sure your player knows he has support of not only myself but also the dressing room,” Stokes said.
“It has not gone as well as he would have liked out on the field, but since he came in as opening batter for England he has done a phenomenal job. It has just been one of those tours when not much has gone right for him out on the field.”
England’s captain Ben Stokes (left), Harry Brook and Ben Duckett in the nets (David Gray/AFP via Getty Images)
In contrast, fellow opener Crawley is England’s top run scorer and the third highest overall in the series with 256, behind only Travis Head and Alex Carey, despite bagging a pair at the first Test in Perth.
“I’ve been pleased with how I’ve played,” Crawley said. “I felt good going into the series but obviously would have liked a couple of bigger scores that could change the course of a couple of games.
“Hopefully I can do that this week and contribute to a win.”
England have not finalised their team for Sydney yet, naming a squad of 12 including Matthew Potts and Shoaib Bashir on Friday. Neither has played yet during the series and, while it looks like a straight fight between Bashir and Will Jacks for the spin role depending on conditions at the SCG, Potts seems certain to replace the injured Gus Atkinson in the pace attack.
The 27-year-old will make his Ashes debut. Both Stokes and Crawley are expecting big things from the Durham right-armer.
“Every time I face him he impresses me,” Crawley said. “He’s got the heart of a lion, a lot of skill and, if he gets the nod this week, he thoroughly deserves it.”
Captain Stokes added: “He obviously had a great start to his Test career with the ball and he finds himself in a slightly different position now within the team and in the squad.
“Pottsy is an incredible competitor and he’ll never back down or shy away from any situation or any competition — whoever it is at the end of the wicket. He’s cracked on, he’s trucked through this pretty long tour without getting a chance yet, but I’m sure if he does get a chance this week he’ll take it in his stride and give it absolutely everything he can.
“We’ll have a look at the wicket. We’ll probably try and give ourselves as much possible time to see what they are going to end up doing with the wicket before we name anything.”
England squad: Ben Stokes (captain), Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Matthew Potts, Shoaib Bashir.
