(Source X)
England Test captain Ben Stokes has responded strongly to criticism from an Australian news outlet regarding a statement he made during last year’s Ashes series at home.
Stokes’ remarks, captured in a recent ECB documentary, came amid the backdrop of a closely contested five-match Test series against Australia, which ended in a 2-2 draw. Despite England’s efforts to reclaim the Ashes, Australia retained the urn they had held since the 2017-18 series.
During the fourth Test, following a rain-marred match that dashed England’s hopes of victory, Stokes delivered a motivational speech to uplift his disappointed teammates. His words aimed to rally the team after they narrowly missed out on a historic Test series win on home soil in over two decades.
“Everything we’ve done up until now isn’t going to stop because we haven’t managed to win the urn back,” Stokes said.
“The reward for our work isn’t what we get but what we become. And what we have managed to do is we’ve managed to become a sports team that will live forever in the memory of people who were lucky enough to witness us play cricket.”
Ben Stokes responded to criticism following his comments, particularly from an Australian cricket outlet. The outlet labeled Stokes’ remarks as bizarre, pointing out England’s recent struggles in Test cricket, especially against Australia.
England has not won an Ashes series since 2015 and has not secured a Test series victory on Australian soil in 15 years. Their recent Test record since the start of 2023 shows only 4 wins out of 11 matches. The article shared on X by the outlet included a caption implying skepticism: “…right, yeah, sure.”
In response, Ben Stokes clarified that his intention was to uplift his teammates during a rain-affected period in the fourth Test when victory seemed within reach. He countered the criticism with a pointed remark, stating, “Said this to the team who had watched it rain for 2 days when we had our foot on your throats, just tried to cheer up the disappointment tbh,but anyways rent free and all that 🫡.”
