“It sounds like all I want to do is fight them,” said Ben Stokes, drawing laughter from the assembled audience. Here was England’s genuine all-rounder – a player reborn this summer and on the eve of what will be his second Ashes – realising, somewhat belatedly, he had become the latest to be sucked into the sledging-dominated dialogue that has led up to next week’s first Test with Australia in Cardiff.
Stokes, present as one of three England cricketers in front of the microphones on Thursday morning, had been asked about the fiery temperament that has become a hallmark of his international career to date and how, when the situation inevitably arises, the 24-year-old will deal with confrontation from a side notorious for being in the face of their opponents.
The former England captain Michael Vaughan has already suggested Michael Clarke’s tourists will look to trigger the short fuse that saw him cross swords with Mitchell Johnson on debut in late 2013, break his hand punching a locker in the Caribbean the following year and draw a sarcastic saluted send-off from Marlon Samuels in April.
Does Stokes, whose ability to bowl 90mph and bludgeon the ball with the bat in hand makes him an asset that Australia cannot rival and who provided the stand-out innings to date this summer with his 85-ball century against New Zealand at Lord’s, see the aggressive part of his cricketing DNA as a strength or an achilles heel?
“It’s a strength,” he replied, with little hesitation. “It’s about being in a battle and if you are in a battle you don’t want to be a loser. If I get involved I don’t want to take a backward step and let them know they are on top of me and can say what they want and get away with it.
“I’m definitely expecting there to be some feuds out on the pitch but I will not go out of my way looking to cause an argument. If anyone comes at you on the cricket pitch in the heat of the moment – when the adrenaline is going – I don’t think anyone in our squad is one to shy away from it.”
Across the stage from Stokes, who was joined by two fellow first-Test squad members in Stuart Broad and Steven Finn as part of a press conference hosted by series sponsors Investec, sat the former Australian fast bowler Jeff Thomson, a man who in retirement has become almost as notorious for his soundbites in the buildup to modern series as the fear-inducing pace he displayed in the 1970s.
Asked about the white heat of Ashes cricket, the 64-year-old gave a charming nod of appreciation in Stokes’s direction. “Sure, the Aussies will be yapping at them,” he said. “But the redhead over here – you can tell he likes it.”
Stokes, more comfortable facing the likes of Johnson than in front of the microphone, is of course more than just an attitude in whites; he is a cricketer of rare all-round talent. That second-innings display of fireworks with the bat at Lord’s in May – his first Test century since December 2013 in Perth, during the 5-0 Ashes whitewash – naturally garnered the greatest attention.
But it was with the ball on the final day of that 124-run win that the Durham all-rounder exhibited that – dare we say it – Botham- or Flintoff-esque quality of seizing the moment, by removing Kane Williamson and Brendon McCullum in successive deliveries. Now blessed with greater responsibility following his return to No6, one would expect his batting and bowling averages – 34 and 43 respectively – eventually to flip around.
England’s hopes of regaining the Ashes urn this summer, beyond their ability to block out the noise, will not solely rest on Stokes aping the feats of those aforementioned all-rounders. It will also depend on how the collective adapt to life under the new head coach Trevor Bayliss and continue this new-found attacking style under the captaincy of Alastair Cook. The early suggestion is that the player-led environment fostered under the caretaker coach Paul Farbrace against New Zealand will remain.
Both Bayliss and Farbrace, who has now dropped down to the role of assistant following the Australian’s arrival last week, spent the four-day training camp in Spain over the weekend preaching self-reliance and the importance of enjoying the contest. The message, it appears, has been well received.
“Every international cricketer takes responsibility for their own game – it’s you who gets the stick if you don’t do well, it’s you who gets dropped,” said Broad, heading into his fourth series against Australia. “We can take energy and enthusiasm from what’s happened early this summer and I think Trevor has realised how upbeat the guys are from our four days in Spain.
“Of course, in the battle we will be competitive and ruthless when we get the chance but we will play with a smile on our face,” Broad added. “To be fair, we do our hobby for a living and you play your best cricket if you are having fun.”
“Trevor just seems to want to put the responsibility on to us and get the best out of our ability,” said Stokes. “He pretty much said: ‘Cookie is in charge, he’s the captain. I’m more of a support staff to all you players.’ If a coach puts the responsibility to the shoulders of the players, that’s got to do us the world of good.”
