Ashish Ranjan
The 2023 Ashes series began on Friday, June 16 at Edgbaston, with England and Australia squaring off for the prestigious urn. Ben Stokes, captain of England, elected to bat first in the opening Test after winning the decision.
As Stokes and Pat Cummins headed out for the toss in the opening Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham, he stated that leading England in the Ashes for the first time is a special occasion for him. The 32-year-old also acknowledged that it can be challenging to filter out external noise, but he believes that England have been exceptionally good at doing so over the past year.
“After all the hype, leading the squad here is a very special moment for me and for the rest of the team members as well. Stokes was quoted by India Today as saying at the toss, “It’s difficult at times [to block the noise] because it brings a lot of excitement and energy, but I think we’ve been very good in the last year at keeping all the external noise out and focusing on what we do.”
After assuming the position of England captain in the longest form of the game, Stokes has achieved remarkable success. As a result of England’s defeat in the 2021-22 Ashes, Joe Root resigned as captain and Chris Silverwood was fired as head coach. However, former New Zealand cricketer Brendon McCullum assumed the role of coach, and England’s Test team captain was named as Ben Stokes.
Stokes is thrilled to have Moeen Ali back
Ben Stokes then expressed his delight at the return of off-spinner Moeen Ali for the first Ashes Test. Ali, who had proclaimed his retirement from Test cricket following England’s tour of India in 2021, was recalled after left-arm spinner Jack Leach was injured prior to the series. The England captain stated that he approached Ali because he has witnessed some of his incredible performances in England and understands what he can offer the team.
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“It is wonderful to have Mo back. Unfortunate injury sustained by Leachy. It was very disappointing to hear this news, as he has been an invaluable member of our group. I reached out to Mo because I know what he can contribute to the team based on his incredible performances in the England jersey. “It’s great to have him back, and I hope he enjoys his time on the field,” the English captain said.
