"Lucky enough to witness us play cricket" - Ben Stokes' curious team talk during Ashes comes out
During Ashes 2023, England captain Ben Stokes motivated his teammates by saying that although they couldn't win the urn, they had become an unforgettable team for those "people who were lucky enough" to watch them play. The comment was revealed in a documentary series 'Ashes 2023 | Our Take' produced by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
It came during his dressing room speech after the fourth Test that ended in a draw. With the five-match series 2-1 in favor of Australia, it meant England could no longer win it in the fifth Test.
"Everything we've done up until now isn't going to stop because we haven't managed to win the urn back," Stokes said to his teammates, as quoted by cricket.com.au. "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."
"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," he added.
England won the fifth Test and the series ended at 2-2. Although Stokes and Brendon McCullum's ultra-aggressive and entertainment-focussed style, termed 'BazBall', earned plaudits for its bravery, it couldn't alter England's eight-year-long winless Ashes streak.
"What's going to give us the best opportunity to win" - Ben Stokes on his decision-making
BazBall's biggest example came in the first Test itself when England declared at 393/8 on the first day, hoping to get some early Australian wickets before stumps. The plan didn't work and the Aussies eventually secured a narrow two-wicket win.
Despite coming under criticism, Stokes didn't feel it was a mistake. He maintained that had he taken Nathan Lyon's tough catch on the final day, the narrative would've been different.
"Any decision I make will never be based on 'well, we're definitely not going to lose if we make this one, so I'll go with it'," Stokes said in the documentary. "It will always be about what's going to give us the best opportunity to win a game."
BazBall lost one big litmus probe after the 2023 Ashes by conceding the five-match Test tour to India by a 4-1 margin.