David Gower wants Ben Stokes and Co. deliver in the Ashes. He wants England to continue to play their fearless brand of cricket all over the world. The former England captain, however, warned that the Australians have a strong bowling line-up that will pose a tough challenge.
The statement comes as Stokes has led England to nine wins in the last 11 Tests. England recently equalized 3-0 in Pakistan. They also won the Test series 2-1 against South Africa and 3-0 against New Zealand at home.
Speaking with Gulf NewsGower said:
“The big test for Bazball is against the Australians, the chance whether we succeed or not will appear in the next few months. It will be interesting. Australia have a very strong bowling attack and they have their own exciting batsmen and they have their own positive approach to the game.”
“England will start to feel positive about the chances, that’s the whole culture. They’re afraid of losing again because they’re backing themselves to keep winning elsewhere.”
Gower, meanwhile, praised Stokes for reinventing England’s Test cricket team. He stated:
“Who would have believed these events in the last 12 months? He developed into a magnificent leader and role [Brendon] McCullum is playing nicely. The way they transformed the England Test team in the few weeks he took over was just incredible.”
England last won the Ashes (3-2) in 2015 at home. They drew the series 2-2 in 2019. On the other hand, Australia beat England 4-0 in their backyard in 2021/22. They also won 4-0 and 5-0 at home in 2017/18 and 2013/14.
“Outshone” – David Gower rates Ben Stokes above Ian Botham
David Gower has said that Ben Stokes has surpassed Ian Botham in his contribution to English cricket. The former England captain highlighted his match-winning innings at Headingley to draw the Test series against Australia and his World Cup-winning performance in the 2019 final.
He said:
“Ben is an outstanding player, I can’t say it better. Ben kind of outshone Botham, I guess. The 81 innings at Headingley 2019 was brilliant. He went from unrivaled defense to direct attack, it’s a one-off but brilliant. Then the World Cup final at Lord’s depended on Stokes’ innings.”
✅ Jacques Kallis ✅ Garfield Sobers ✅ Ian Botham ✅ Kapil DevA now Ben Stokes – an incredible achievement by a once in a lifetime player 🔥 https://t.co/nS3bmZuCs8
Gower also wants Ben Stokes to come out of his ODI retirement for the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023. He said:
“Everyone would love to see Ben Stokes play in the ODI World Cup, someone who is growing up to be an outstanding person. If they want to be able to win the World Cup again, the best thing they can do is to persuade him to be part of the team again.”
The 2023 ODI World Cup is scheduled to be held in India in October and November.