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England captain ben stokes He believes that the next two months of Ashes cricket will be the most important series of his career.
The latest installment in one of sports’ most enduring rivalries Starts in Perth on Friday In front of a crowd of 60,000.
It has been billed as a fight that will define the legacy of the entire ‘Buzzball’ era and Stokes believes the hype is justified.
“I understand what this series means to my journey as England captain,” he said on the eve of the first Test.
“This is definitely the biggest series I will lead this team in. I’m aware of that. Brendon (McCullum) is aware of that as the coach. rob key He is aware of this even in his role (as Managing Director).
“I understand the whole ‘defining series’ thing. I get it. For me personally it’s not going to diminish my role as England captain. It’s something I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and I love what I do every morning when I get up.
“To lead this team is the greatest honor in English cricket. But I’m desperate to be an Ashes-winning captain.”
“It’s been a big build-up, as it always is, to every Ashes series. When you’re a kid you look back and say, ‘I’d love to be there one day.’ Now we’re here.”
Stokes’ team will not be alone, there is huge interest from English fans. Cricket Australia is understood to have sold around 9,000 tickets to UK-based fans, with the number significantly increased due to a strong diaspora.
England’s 4-0 defeat four years ago was played in front of small, socially distanced crowds, with Covid restrictions preventing supporters from travelling.
“As players, there’s no doubt we know how excited everyone is for this series. We know we’ve got a lot of English fans coming,” Stokes said.
“The last time we were here, there were obviously some things that were out of our hands, people not being able to come out and support us like they normally do. But I’m really looking forward to seeing what the atmosphere is like.
“We know we’ll obviously be behind in terms of people rooting for England and people rooting for Australia, but it’s going to be good fun.
“The Barmy Army goes wherever we go. In the last few days, when we have time and we try to get out, there are a lot of English people here.”
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