The highly anticipated Ashes series between England and Australia is set to reignite the oldest rivalry in international cricket, commencing on June 16 at Edgbaston. As Australia showcases their dominant form after their stellar performance against India in the World Test Championship final, England captain Ben Stokes remains undeterred by the Australian challenge, expressing his team’s determination to play fearless cricket in the forthcoming series.
Stokes acknowledges the threat
Acknowledging the unique pressure and hype surrounding the Ashes, Ben Stokes assured that his team is prepared for the action-packed summer ahead. The all-rounder exuded confidence in their past year’s accomplishments and aims to replicate that success in the upcoming series. Stokes encouraged his team to embrace a fearless mindset and shed their fear of failure.
“It’s not like any other series. There’s the pressure, the hype, and the extra noise that comes with it, but we’re ready for all that this summer. We’ve had some good results in the last year and the mindset in the group is so strong. Everyone is fully committed to what we’re doing,” Stokes was quoted as saying by PLANETSPORT.
“We know how good we are and that on our good days, we can beat anyone on their good days. I promise you: We’re going to play without fear. We want to create an environment where everyone has the freedom to try things without fear. I know it hasn’t always been that way, even though we’ve always had the ability. Hold nothing back. Express yourself. Show us what you can really do. As captain, I’m not going to be chewing people out in press conferences or in the media for trying to play a big shot,” Stokes further added.
England plan to regain Ashes for the first time since 2015
Notably, England are playing a new brand of cricket under the leadership of Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum. They’ve revolutionized Test cricket with their new aggressive brand of cricket popularly known as ‘Bazball’. The Ben Stokes-led side are on a roll as they’ve won 10 out of their last 12 Tests which include a 3-0 whitewash of Pakistan in an away series.
The ‘Three Lions’ have failed to regain the Ashes in the last three series which include a drawn series in 2019. They last won the Ashes in 2015 by 3-2 under the leadership of Alastair Cook. The upcoming series is expected to be an evenly-matched contest between the two teams.
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