Ben Stokes says he “absolutely” wants to continue captaining England despite losing just three Tests in the Ashes series in Australia.
England were beaten 3-0 down on day five of the third Test in Adelaide, extending England’s winless run to 18 games and leaving them without an away Ashes series win in 14 years.
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Stokes took over as captain after a 4-0 defeat four years ago and the tour is considered the pinnacle of all-rounder and head coach Brendan McCullum’s leadership.
Asked if the defeat would make him question his commitment to the England squad, Stokes said: “No.”
Ahead of this series, the 34-year-old agreed a new England midfielder contract that will run until the end of the next Ashes tournament in England in 2027.
Cricket completed the series defeat in just 11 days after the first three Tests, which is likely to put pressure on the positions of McCullum and director of cricket Rob Key.
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Given Stokes’ influence and importance to the England team, the Durham man may be given the opportunity to continue as captain if he wants to do so.
He has a checkered injury history – Stokes has been plagued by knee, hamstring and shoulder problems over the past two years.
Cap clearly invested a lot of emotional energy into this series. After being dismissed in the second innings of the second Test in Brisbane and then again in the first innings in Adelaide, he threw his bat in the air in frustration.
Asked if he still had the energy for the job, Stokes replied: “Of course I do.”
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At the crease of the first innings, Stokes, who had not bowled the third day in Adelaide after scoring 83 in just over five hours, then took the ball at the start of the fourth day.
“I just didn’t feel right,” he said. “I knew I had an important role to play, so I didn’t want to give myself away.
“I felt like I was going to collapse every time I chased the ball, so I just looked after myself.
“I had a good night and woke up the next morning and I was excited to go again, but I actually took some advice from some of the senior boys on changes I was given.”
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Ahead of the series, Stokes called on his players to “make history” and join the ranks of five England teams to win the Ashes in Australia since World War II.
Instead, Stokes’ side followed in the footsteps of the three previous relegated England teams and lost their first three Test matches to hand over the Ashes early on.
“It’s obviously very disappointing now to know that we can’t achieve what we’re trying to do here,” Stokes said.
“It’s a very emotional moment for me in the dressing room, my teammates, the players, the management and the backroom staff.
“We will take a lot of lessons from this game on how to work towards giving us a better chance of becoming a more consistent cricket team.”
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England are now playing their fourth Test in Melbourne, looking to win a Test match in the country for the first time since January 2011.
Even a draw would ensure they don’t suffer the ignominy of a sweep – England have been beaten 5-0 in each of their previous three Ashes tours.
“It turns to other things that are in front of us,” Stokes said. “There are two games left in the series and we still have a lot to play as individuals and as a team.
“Going out and playing for England is a good enough thing in itself. We’re not going to turn around and kick the stumps down because we have a lot to do in the series.”
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