‘We know how good we are and…’ - England skipper Ben Stokes warns Australia ahead of Ashes 2023

The Ashes is all set to begin on 16 June 2023 and Australia are coming off after winning the World Test Championship (WTC) final against India at the Oval on 11 June. So, an enthralling battle awaits both teams and their fans in this upcoming five-match series. But, now ahead of this series, England skipper Ben Stokes came up with a warning for the Aussies. 

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Stokes claimed that the series is massive for both teams and fans around the world know the real value of it. He said: "We all know the Ashes is massive. It’s elite. It goes beyond normal cricket fans. People all over the world know its history and what it means for England and Australia." 

“We can beat anyone on their good days.” - Ben Stokes

Stokes further added: "It’s not like any other series. There’s the pressure, the hype, and the extra noise that comes with it, but we’re ready for all that this summer. We’ve had some good results in the last year and the mindset in the group is so strong. Everyone is fully committed to what we’re doing. We know how good we are and that on our good days, we can beat anyone on their good days." 

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However, earlier while speaking to Sky Sports back in April, Stokes said that the ground staff were given clear directions about what kind of pitch they would want. He said: "We've been very clear, especially with the ground staff around England, about what type of wickets we want. And they've been very responsive to us which has been good. We want fast, flat wickets. We want to go out there and score quickly. It brings their guys in, if they've got fast wickets to bowl on then they'll be happy with that as well."

But, regarding the same, while speaking to The Guardian in an interview, the head of sports turf and grounds at the Edgbaston Stadium, Gary Barwell said: “I was on holiday in Miami and I got sent the clip. I can 100% tell you I have never been told that. I know they want good pitches, that’s all I’ve heard, and I don’t think that’s unusual. I’ve never been asked to produce a pitch for England in all the time I’ve been here. I get asked to produce a good cricket wicket and that’s it.”