England cricket coach Brendon McCullum is optimistic about Ben Stokes’ fitness as the team gears up for the Ashes series against Australia. With the squad announcement expected by the end of this month, McCullum revealed that the England captain is working hard to recover from a shoulder injury and get in top shape for the crucial five-Test battle starting November 21 in Perth.
Stokes picked up the right shoulder problem during the fourth Test against India in Manchester and hasn’t played since. He won’t feature in any competitive cricket before the Ashes kicks off, but McCullum is confident. Speaking to reporters after England’s 2-1 ODI series defeat to South Africa on Monday, the coach said, “Stokesy will be training his arse off as he always does, and making sure he gets as fit as what he possibly can. The last series we saw from Stokesy is probably the best series he’s had as captain, so that’s a good sign. We know that for us to be competitive down in Australia, a fit, firing and motivated Ben Stokes is going to give us every chance.”
McCullum hasn’t locked in the team for the first Ashes Test yet, including whether young batter Jacob Bethell will join as a reserve. “We’ll work that out when we get to Australia. We’ve got a few other fish to fry before we get there,” he explained. The coach praised Bethell’s bright future, noting how quickly the 21-year-old has adapted to international cricket. “We’ve said about Jacob since we introduced him that he’s got a huge future in front of him. He’s very quickly taken to international cricket, and things have come really quickly for him as well. He’s going to have some life: 21 years of age, and being able to play like he does.”
McCullum highlighted Bethell’s milestone – his first professional hundred came in an England ODI jersey at just 21, a feat only David Gower had matched before. “I want to celebrate the fact that his first ever professional hundred has been scored in the England jumper at the age of 21. I think Gower’s the only other one (to score an ODI hundred for England at 21), and he was a pretty good player. We’ll see where Jacob ends up,” he added.
Bethell is already making waves. He’ll play in England’s upcoming T20Is against South Africa and then captain the team in Ireland, becoming their youngest-ever skipper. He’s also lined up for the white-ball tour of New Zealand. “It’s a tremendous honour for him and we’ve put him in that position because we feel he’s got leadership qualities,” McCullum said.
As England eyes success in the Ashes 2023, fans are eager to see Stokes back at his best and young talents like Bethell shine on the big stage.
