“I don’t want to be another Nasser Hussain.”
In the days after England’s thumping in Brisbane, which left them 2-0 down with three matches remaining, Hussain has been critical of Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum.
“They are not thinking smart. They are not thinking straight under pressure,” Hussain wrote in The Athletic.
“The first sign of insanity is doing the same things and expecting different results, and England cannot afford that now.
Ben Stokes bowls during training at the Adelaide Oval.Credit: Getty Images
“Stokes and McCullum have been backing their players since 2022, but now it’s time for all of them to take individual responsibility. The captain and the coach’s necks are on the line. They have to be hard-nosed.”
England’s spearhead Jofra Archer will reignite his battle with Steve Smith after their late-match exchange during Australia’s win in Brisbane.
After Smith sledged Archer for only bowling fast when “there’s nothing going on, champion”, Stokes has vowed England will be prepared to stir up Australia’s batsmen if the situation demands it.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what this week brings,” Stokes said. “If a moment arises where we feel like we might need to get a little bit niggly like that, then I’m sure it’ll happen, and we’ll have to jump on the back of those moments as a team.
“It’s making sure that the mind doesn’t go solely on creating something like that.”
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The Australian team of 1936-37 remains the only side in Ashes history to come from 2-0 down and win a five-match series. After what Stokes described as honest conversations and several days of sunshine and bonding in Noosa, the England captain believes his side can create history with an unchanged top seven from Brisbane.
The only change to England’s XI is paceman Josh Tongue replacing Gus Atkinson, with spinner Shoaib Bashir again overlooked in favour of all-rounder Will Jacks.
“We know what it’s like to be in this situation before,” Stokes said, referencing the 2023 Ashes when England trailed 2-0 before forcing a 2-2 result.
“If anything, it actually makes everything look more simple and a little bit more clear for us. I’ve got the full [faith] we can do this.”
