Michael Vaughan optimistic on England’s Ashes chances saying Stokes will expect to win the Ashes, that is his mentality’.
Michael Vaughan optimistic about prospects but warns against presuming all-out pace is key.
Ben Stokes may end up being England’s most valuable bowler on “very English” Australian wickets, according to Michael Vaughan, who also believes that winning the Ashes would validate Stokes’ efforts as Test captain.
Most of England’s Test team is in New Zealand, either participating in the current ODI series or training alongside it, with the first Test in Perth in just three weeks. The England Lions will join the Ashes group on Monday in Western Australia, where they will play a three-day match beginning on November 13, eight days before to the series opening at Optus Stadium.
England remain confident despite their last Test victory on Australian territory occurring in January 2011, confirming a historic 3-1 victory, and an aggregate score of 14-0 in the three subsequent tours. A large portion of that may be attributed to Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum’s beliefs and more aggressive style.
Under Stokes, the results have significantly improved. As full-time captain, he personally oversaw 22 victories in 36 Test matches, reversing a slump of one victory in 17 before his appointment. But since he and McCullum took over at the beginning of the 2022 summer, England has failed to win a five-match series.
Speaking at a Viagogo event, Vaughan, who led England to victory in the 2005 Ashes, ending an 18-year drought, believes it’s time for Stokes to have some real success as captain.
“I think they need a trophy,” he said.
“I mean, would I take two-all now? Probably, let’s be honest. In the last few series, 2010-11 is the only time that I’ve seen England have success. We won one Test match in 2002-03, we won three Test matches in 2010-11. We haven’t won a Test since. So actually looking at growth in terms of what English cricket is delivering and, crikey, if you could get a two-all series, you’d obviously take that.
“But I think Ben and his mentality, and the way that he plays his cricket, this is his moment. He has to deliver and he has to get that urn in his hand. And it’s not putting him under pressure. They’ll be speaking in this kind of language in the dressing room. They will expect to win this series and now’s the time to deliver.”
Warns against all-pace
Additionally, Vaughan cautioned England against becoming overly fixated on the idea that all-out pace is the best approach in Australia.
Over the past two years, the tourists have developed a more versatile seam assault that can be used in every situation, but especially in Australia with the Kookaburra ball.
“I don’t think it’s all about pace,” said Vaughan. “I’d be very, very wary to just think that because we’ve got Jofra, because we’ve got Mark Wood, Brydon Carse, Gus Atkinson that can bowl with a bit of gas, that’s all you need.
“Scott Boland, he averages 12 (12.63) because he hits the top of off stump more often than not, and the ball just wobbles around a bit. This series is the series that I look and think. ‘give me a Chris Woakes or a Sam Cook’ just in case, because we might get conditions that are very, very English and top of off will still be the main threat. And it’s who’s going to consistently hit the top of off stump.
“There’s not many quick bowlers that hit the top of off stump. They’re basically there to bowl a bit of pepper and change up the pace of play.
“I guess Ben’s the one bowler that you can just go, okay, you go back to top of off. It’s the one concern I have about the England attack that I’m thinking, who’s going to continuously hit the top of off if the ball’s wobbling around? Pace, yes, but it might be a series where the top of off stump is the area to go for.”