Ben Stokes copies Jack Grealish’s iconic celebration pose; “love to see it”, says Manchester City star
England Test captain Ben Stokes recently copied Manchester City star Jack Grealish’s iconic celebration pose in an Instagram story. An impressed Grealish responded to the same, stating that he loved the imitation.
Stokes is currently preparing to lead England in the Ashes series, which will begin with the first Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Friday, June 16.
On the other hand, Manchester City recently beat Inter Milan 1-0 in the UEFA Champions League final, winning their first trophy and completing the treble along the way. Grealish's shirtless celebration atop a bus during City's trophy parade went viral.
Meanwhile, Stokes imitated the iconic celebration pose by the 27-year-old ahead of England's preparation for the Ashes series.
Responding to the all-rounder’s social media post, Grealish commented:
“Love to see it.”
Stokes will be key to England’s chances in Ashes 2023 against a strong Australian outfit, who recently won the World Test Championship (WTC) by beating India in the final at The Oval.
“Nothing is going to change” - Stokes says England will stick to 'Bazball' in Ashes
Some critics have expressed doubts over how successful England’s ultra-aggressive approach, dubbed as ‘Bazball’, can be against a strong Aussie outfit.
However, Stokes has asserted that nothing will change. He told BBC in the build-up to the Ashes:
“Nothing is going to change because we’ve had unbelievable success with it. If we were to change anything from the last 12 months because we find ourselves in an Ashes series then anything from the last 12 months will have been completely pointless.”
On the other hand, former Australian captain Steve Waugh has questioned whether England have a plan B.
He told the Australian media:
“Have they got a Plan B? They have shown they are good enough to carry this style of cricket off but the ultimate test will be against a world-class bowling attack, which Australia has got.”
With Stokes as captain and Brendon McCullum as coach, England have won 11 out of 13 Test matches.