Before the series of England on the white balls against the Antilles, the versatile Star Ben Stokes broke its silence on the criticism with which the three lions are confronted for their methods of practice. The Cricket England team has received huge slams recently, according to their bad shape. Some former players and experts even said that England players were more focused on golf than cricket. Such remarks were made during the team visit to India for an ODI series of five games and three T20is in January of this year. While the hosts had beaten 4-1 England in the ODI series, they cleaned the guests of the T20I series that followed.
In an even lower performance, England ended up leaving the 2025 Champions Trophy of the group phase itself after losing the three games played. This even led Jos Buttler to leave the role of white ball captain of England who has now been given to Harry Brook.
“When you hear comments saying that we do not train strong enough, we are more embarrassed by golf, we are not working hard enough, it’s just complete and absolute (waste),” said the captain of the England Stokes test Sky Sports.
“You will not be able to be an international sportsman for a long time if you do not have work ethics and all those who enter the test team, the white ball team, their work ethics is incredible. These are professional athletes, it is their work.
“There are reasons why we do things in the way we do it and these reasons are that we were talking together in the locker room. There is a reason for everything we do.
“What we are trying to do is relieve additional pressure on people’s shoulders. When you see us doing certain things that people might think why do we do that, there is a reason why we do it.”
Ben Stokes had called time for his white ball career before making a comeback for the ODI 2023 World Cup in India. He was not appointed in the next series of white balls in England against the Antilles which will be led by Brook. However, it remains fully active as a player in the tests.
“In terms of my player role, this complete designer, striking at six, trying to dominate all the situations I find if I have a bat or a ball in my hand is what I want to recover on the field, on the biggest scene. I know that I have already done it, it is something that I am very confident in myself, I can do,” said Stokes.
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