Speaking on this week’s edition of the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, Nasser Hussain claims England Test captain Ben Stokes needs to “get back to batting the way he used to”.
Under head coach Brendon McCullum and Stokes, England lost 4-1 in Australia – their sole win came in a remarkable two-day Boxing Day Test in Melbourne – with their preparation and rigidly aggressive playing style criticised and a number of off-field issues arising.
Speaking in March, Stokes admitted the past three months have been the “hardest period” of his time as England captain but he is adamant the current leadership group can take the Test team forward.
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Jos Buttler is backing Ben Stokes to take England to No 1 in Test Cricket despite their poor performance in the Ashes.
The team have failed to beat Australia or India in a five-match series since McCullum and Stokes took charge in 2022, drawing with those sides at home and being thumped away.
Hussain, who captained England between 1999 and 2003, admits Stokes had a poor Ashes series but he need to take care of your own game and start scoring runs.
“Go back six months, were we raving about Stokes the captain? Have we always been, yes we have! We have been, both of us think that Stokes has been probably one of, if not the best captain. Just purely old fashioned captaincy on gut feel and tactics and man-management and empathy. He has it all,” said Hussain of Stokes, who averaged just 18.40 with the bat in The Ashes over the winter, while he suffered a groin injury in the final Test and has not played since.
“But he had a poor Ashes. But he’s not the first England captain to have a poor away Ashes series as captain, as we know.
“The one thing he could probably bring right now is clarity because of that word authenticity. McCullum’s come in, McCullum stayed on. What is going to be the messaging, not only to the team, but to County cricket?
“The messaging before was you have to play a certain way to come in. What is the messaging now? I think the biggest things to two things: One, Stokes take care of your own game because it has fallen off because of all those injuries.
“The best thing Ben Stokes could do is go back to batting the way he used to and getting runs. But the second thing as a captain is absolute clarity.
“And my message will be, the biggest thing any player can do is you’re going to be judged on runs and wickets and catches. Nothing else.
“Nothing about how you play and run towards danger and all that. You are now going to be judged on runs, wickets and catches and nothing else.”
When will Stokes return to action?
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Despite losing the Ashes comprehensively, Stokes is determined to remain as England captain
Stokes is poised to miss the first month of the County Championship season with Durham as he continues to recover from facial surgery.
The 34-year-old seems set to sit out games against Gloucestershire, Lancashire and Middlesex, but the all-rounder could then return for fixtures against Worcestershire and Kent in May.
England currently sit seventh in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 standings, having suffered six defeats from ten outings.
Their first Test series of the summer is against New Zealand, with the first match at Lord’s from 4 June, followed by a three-Test contest against Pakistan beginning on August 19.
Watch England’s home international summer live on Sky Sports, starting with a three-Test series against New Zealand from June 4. Not got Sky? Stream cricket contract-free on NOW.
