‘It’s been a great time playing for England’, said the captain after the 3-0 victory in Pakistan
Ben Stokes says he has never had so much fun wearing an England shirt after leading the men’s test team to a historic series win in Pakistan.
His 67 deliveries in his fourth day of the third Test ensured a win over Karachi, confirming the 3-0 result. England have played at least 12 of his 13 games, and he has won nine of his first 10 since Stokes became captain at the start of the summer. This is the third consecutive victory.
Stokes was there last, not 35, alongside Ben Duckett to avoid moving on 82, batting the final delivery of the series for 4. The two gave each other a hug before turning to their teammates and everyone had big smiles on their faces. The core part of the work had been finished by Tuesday, so the celebration in the locker room was much more expressive than Monday, before returning to the team hotel.
Yet, just a week after his third straight win in Pakistan was confirmed, the captain was holding no illusions when he realized he was the first team to beat Pakistan on their own terms. did. Never in his 12 years at international level has he enjoyed cricket more, on both red and white chords, as part of a winning team focused on entertaining the crowd.
When asked if this was the most fun he had had as an English cricketer, Stokes quickly replied, “Yes, definitely.” “[We] go out and enjoy every moment we can, no matter what the situation is.
“The first test [at Rawalpindi] was very flat, so I said, ‘Enjoy the flat guys. Let’s enjoy this challenge and see what we can do.'” Jimmy I saw Anderson smile. That in itself is an impressive thing to do on the field.
“It’s a great time to be here in the dressing room and it’s a great time to play for England. Come in every day and enjoy what you do. Of course, it’s easy if you win like you are now.
“The real test is when things don’t go so well, and that’s when it’s time to make more of what we can take out there. But I hope we don’t get there.”
Stokes, along with head coach Brendon McCallum, was responsible for instilling that playfulness throughout the team and backroom staff. I’m here. His two top run scorers for England, Harry Brooke (468) and Duckett (357), came in and easily took the lead.
Meanwhile, the 18-year-old Rehan Ahmed had a spectacular run at Karachi’s National Stadium, taking his seven wickets, including his first five-wicket catch on his debut. Similarly, Olly Pope, who continued through the first two Tests after initially establishing his role as third under Stokes, averaged 47.60 for 238 with 12 catches and batting in grabs as well. Recorded. “When you take that burden off individuals and teams, players can excel and show more,” Stokes said. “Playing a fun kind of cricket that overcomes the ambition to win and the fear of failure.
“I just accept that running away is part of the blow.
The circumstances of this trip also strengthened our sense of togetherness. The return to restricted living conditions dates back to the Covid bubble, but the most persistent challenge was illness. It started more or less as soon as they arrived in Pakistan. That’s when half the team was crushed by a virus so bad it could have delayed the start of the first test by 24 hours.
It was a collective disaster, but the bug remains in the group, as the players had to take drugs and leave the field for an impromptu comfort break.
Mark Wood, who was ill in the First Test, sat out mainly as he was recovering from a pre-existing hip injury, but played a key role in the Second Test at Multan, bowling England out of the game. A series-defining 26-run victory.Final day. Having just returned from two elbow surgeries in late September, it was his first game with the red ball since March of this year.
Ollie Robinson was the hardest hit in that final game, leaving the field after three overs on the opening day when nature called early. After learning that the team was struggling before being confirmed, he reiterated to the management group that he still wanted to play.