England cricket captain Ben Stokes made the bizarre claim that his team will “live forever in the memory of people who were lucky enough to witness us play cricket” despite not winning back the Ashes.
Stokes’ comments are featured in the three-part documentary series ‘Ashes 2023 | Our Take’ produced by the England and Wales Cricket Board which was released this week.
He is shown talking to his team after the rain-interrupted drawn fourth Test which ended any chance England had of regaining the Ashes heading into the final match with Australia holding a 2-1 lead.
“Everything we’ve done up until now isn’t going to stop because we haven’t managed to win the urn back,” said Stokes.
“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.
“I know it’s going to be a bit flat, I know it’s going to hurt that we go into the next game (at The Oval) not being able to get the urn back.
“But what we have done is something a lot bigger than any Ashes trophy could ever signify for this team – be the team that everybody will always remember.”
Stokes has since doubled down on the comments with a testy response on X to a derisive Fox Cricket post, claiming his England team live ‘rent-free’ in Australian media’s heads.
“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,” Stokes wrote.
The series will be remembered as one of the greatest Ashes contests of all time, full of close finishes and controversial moments, highlighted by Alex Carey’s stumping of Jonny Bairstow at a crucial stage of the second match at Lord’s.
England tried to justify Stokes’ surprise decision to declare late on the opening day of the series at Edgbaston with his team at 8-393 and Joe Root humming along on 118.
Australia did not lose a wicket before stumps and went on to win the match but veteran seamer Stuart Broad stood up for his skipper in the documentary.
(Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
“I was actually the first person I think he raised the point to,” Broad said.
“He said ‘I promised myself before the series, if I could influence the game and drive the mentality forward in a positive way … (and) if I thought it, I’m going to do it.
“And I said, ‘Okay, if you thought it then let’s live by it’.”
Former captain Joe Root tried to put a lid on the hubris with the veteran batter saying: “I don’t think anyone thinks we’re something we’re not. We’re not trying to say that we’re the best team in the world.
“One of the sayings that comes out of the dressing room – I think Leachy (spin bowler Jack Leach) actually came up with it – is teams might be better than us, but they won’t be braver than us.
“And it’s a great way to play the game.”
The Roarhttps://https://ift.tt/6ocHgJe doubles down on claim fans are ‘lucky to witness us play’, says Poms live ‘rent-free’ in Aussie heads
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