Ben Stokes admits Aussies being nice is ‘weird’… but promises England will not hold back in Ashes opener
BEN STOKES says Australia’s nice approach to The Ashes is ‘weird’ and promises England will go full throttle from ball one tomorrow.
The Aussies have tried to cut out sledging under new captain Tim Paine in the wake of last year’s Sandpapergate cheating shame.
But superstar all-rounder Stokes has warned England will not fall for their change in mood when the arch-rivals face off in the First Test at Edgbaston.
He said: “It’s weird Aussies trying to be nice to you. I think once you get out in the middle, the real competitive side of both teams will come out.
“The Ashes are the biggest Test series played in the world. There’s always something that happens between teams and I don’t think this will be any different.
“Both teams are desperate to win, both sets of players are desperate to perform because Ashes series are where you get looked at. It’s where you are scrutinised and criticised more or praised if you do well.
“Everyone knows that, especially the 22 guys, so I can assure you there will be some sort of theatre going on.
“You can’t feel your way into an Ashes series, you have to be switched on from ball one. That’s just me in a nutshell.”
POP A PILL
After his incredible World Cup — he was Man of the Match in the final and made five scores of 79 or more in the tournament — Stokes wants to make sure he is 100 per cent ready to go against Australia at Edgbaston tomorrow morning.
So he will pop a Zopiclone to help him get some kip.
Asked about eve-of-Ashes nerves, Stokes, 28, revealed: “The night before is the worst, sleeping pills are the best way to describe it.
“You’re anxious, there’s excitement, then getting out there for the warm-up is special.
“It's one of the greatest sporting environments you can be in, the first morning of an Ashes series.
“It's hard to explain, you can only really explain it when you’re out there. It’s awesome.”
Stokes’ World Cup final heroics against New Zealand at Lord’s wrote a slice of cricket history that will be replayed as long as the game is played.
He guided England to a tie, then dusted himself down, went out to bat again and earned another tie in the super over.
That was enough for England to lift the trophy because they struck more boundaries in the original match.
'TWO DAYS LATER... IT HIT ME'
Stokes admits there was an emotional comedown in the wake of that global glory.
But now, after resting during England’s Test victory over Ireland last week, he is ready to go once more.
And his promotion to vice-captain — he lost the job in the wake of the street fight in Bristol in September 2017 — has provided another boost.
Stokes said: “It was two days after the final that it hit me. I was playing golf at Foxhills in Surrey with Tom Curran, Jade Dernbach and Will Jacks and everything had calmed down.
“I was sat in the buggy and said to Tom that I was sad that it was over. You think about how much effort had gone in over four years and then that seven weeks to then lifting the World Cup.
“It was absolutely brilliant but it was a real comedown because we cannot relive that feeling of walking around the outfield at Lord’s.
“I didn’t play against Ireland. I felt I needed time away, time at home. I needed to be in my own house, in my own bed and be with the family to recharge my batteries.
“It was probably a week later when everything had settled down for me emotionally about the World Cup and I could concentrate on The Ashes.”
On his role as Root’s deputy, Stokes added: “I've always tried in the past to take all the little pressures off Joe’s shoulders. He’s captain and the pressures on him are enormous. In an Ashes series, that goes up 50 per cent.
“There are other little things that can affect a captain mentally, so I do anything I can to help him.
“Touch wood, nothing happens to Joe but I’ve played enough cricket now with this group — especially Jimmy and Broady — to understand what works for them.
“If anything happens, I know I have a group of senior players who could help me through as captain.
“We had Jos Buttler as vice-captain before, so with him, Jimmy and Broady, there’s plenty of experience.”
Stokes can weave his name into Ashes folklore in the next few weeks, maybe like Ian Botham in 1981 and Andrew Flintoff in 2005.
He added: “Since I got in the team, Flintoff and Botham have always been thrown around.
“But I’ve always said the same thing — I’m just trying to be me.
“That’s the great thing about being an all-rounder. You can impose yourself on the game with bat and ball.
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“Your day is never over, so being able to influence a game by scoring runs or bowling a fiery spell to get a wicket is something I enjoy.
“In 2005, I was playing in a festival in Cumbria and I remember my parents had the cricket on the radio.
“They were pretending to watch us but were listening to the radio!
“That Ashes series captured the imagination. The highlights have been on TV so often and really get you up for what we’re about to do over the next few weeks.”