Ben Stokes Aims To Break Records With Ashes Victory in Australia

England captain Ben Stokes declared his ambition to win the Ashes in Australia ahead of the first Test in Perth.

England captain Ben Stokes has declared his determination to become one of the “lucky few” English captains to win an Ashes series in Australia. The first Test begins Friday in Perth, starting England’s quest to regain the urn for the first time since 2015.

England face a daunting historical challenge, having lost 13-0 across the previous three tours. They confront an Australian side missing injured bowlers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, who fielded debutants Brendan Doggett and Jake Weatherald.

Ben Stokes Embraces Ashes Pressure

“I’ve come here absolutely desperate to get home on that plane in January as one of the lucky few captains from England who have come here and been successful. Personally, I do understand how big a series this is but it’s not putting any more effort into this one than I have done any other series I’ve been captain,” said Stokes, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

Stokes is shielding his players from external pressure while acknowledging the series’ significance. He dismissed notions of “immortality” for winning, noting “I can’t say we are going to be immortal because we all die, don’t we?”

He emphasized embracing the occasion rather than downplaying it. “Everyone in the world, everyone in Australia, everyone in England knows how big this series is,” Stokes said. “If we were to come out and not accept that and go on that as just another series, then we’d only be lying to ourselves.”

Stokes returns from a four-month layoff after suffering a shoulder injury during the India series. He recently signed a two-year contract extension through the 2027 home Ashes.

“[It was] very easy,” said Stokes of the decision. “I want to eke everything out of this body I can and I will do that in an England shirt.”