England captain Ben Stokes says the upcoming Ashes is the “biggest series” of their lives, urging his team to embrace the challenge in Australia as they aim to reclaim the urn after years of heavy defeats and a decade-long drought.
It’s been a decade since England last won the Ashes urn. Add four more years to England’s last Test win in Australia. Needless to say, the Ben Stokes-led side are under enormous pressure ahead of the upcoming edition of the Ashes, slated to begin on November 21 in Perth. In the previous edition, England had moments where a series win seemed within reach, but Australia’s dramatic resurgence in the final three Tests ultimately crushed their hopes.
Determined to turn the tide, England are eager to make a statement and secure what could be the most significant series win of their careers. Stokes emphasised that his team is not intimidated by the challenge of playing in Australia, even after enduring 5-0, 4-0, and 4-0 defeats in their last three tours Down Under. He also reminded his players of the weight of expectations and urged them to give everything once they step onto the field.
“Definitely [the biggest series of our lives]. Everyone in the world, everyone in Australia and England, knows how big this is. I think if we were to come out and not accept that, and say ‘it’s just another series’ we’d only be lying to ourselves, lying to the fact of what the series is. It’s looking it in the eyes, taking it on and not being afraid of the challenge,” Stokes said as quoted by Sky Sports.
“We know it’s a huge task coming to Australia and everything that comes with that on the field and away from the field. It is a huge two-and-a-half months for us. It’s about letting everyone know what the expectations are going to be like, so it’s not a huge shock and a, ‘woah, I didn’t expect this to be like this,’” he added.
We have come over here to take the Ashes home: Stokes
Stokes once again reminded that the goal is to win the Ashes, something he has never won in his career. He backed his players to fight until the end and noted that he wants to be one of the few England captains to have won the Ashes series.
“We’re in a good place. We’ve come over here to take the Ashes home, that’s the end goal, and we have selected a squad we think will give us a great chance. For me personally, this series won’t diminish what has gone on before or the time and energy I have put into the [captaincy] but it doesn’t take away from how important I feel it is by itself. I am desperate to get that plane home saying I am one of the few England captains to win an Ashes series,” Stokes said.