England skipper Ben Stokes gave a curious speech in the dressing room after the 4th Ashes Test was washed out with the Australians leading 2-1, saying that they’ll be forever entrenched in the minds of people who have watched the team play Bazball.
“Everything we’ve done up until now isn’t going to stop because we haven’t managed to win the urn back. The reward for our work isn’t what we get but what we become. And what we have managed to do is we’ve managed to become a sports team that will live forever in the memory of people who were lucky enough to witness us play cricket,” Stokes was quoted as saying in the documentary ‘Ashes 2023 | Our Take.’
With the Aussies leading 2-1, England would not be able to win the urn even after playing the 5th Test which they did and the series was tied 2-2.
“I know it’s going to be a bit flat, I know it’s going to hurt that we go into the next game (at The Oval) not being able to get the urn back. But what we have done is something a lot bigger than any Ashes trophy could ever signify for this team – be the team that everybody will always remember,” Stokes added.
After the Ashes, England’s Bazball mentality continued into the India series where they were brutally crushed 4-1 and their nature of playing came under fire.
The Three Lions will again tour India in 2025 for five T20Is and three ODIs across January and February while their next Ashes appointment will be in 2025-26 in Australia.
Get latest updates on T20 World Cup along with live score updates for all matches.