Nasser Hussain says England captain Ben Stokes’ apparent rebuke of some members of his squad following the second Ashes Test reminded him of Jurgen Klopp’s management methods.
After England went 2-0 down in Brisbane last week following a second heavy defeat to start the five-Test series, Stokes said that his dressing room is “not a place for weak men”.
While Stokes said in a separate interview that his players were not “weak”, the skipper appeared to be questioning the mentality of his squad.
Analysing England’s situation ahead of the start of the third Test in Adelaide on Tuesday, Sky Sports pundit and former England captain Hussain drew a comparison with former Liverpool boss Klopp, who he interviewed for a 2023 documentary.
“It reminded me of, I did that leadership documentary with Jurgen Klopp and that quote from Klopp about how he manages, and his relationship with his players, that he’s their friend, but he’s not their best friend,” Hussain said on the latest episode of the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast.
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Australian radio station 92.7 Mix FM tracked down the England cricket team relaxing on the beach for some sledging, which was taken in good spirits by Ben Stokes!
“What he means by that is, ‘I’ll always be there for you until I feel you’re letting me down, and then I ain’t your friend anymore’.
“That’s what I got from Stokes’ press conference at the end there – I’ve looked after you, I’ve backed you, I’ve even pushed you in this direction’.
“Let’s be honest, he’s even asked them to play (like that), he went out and played like that.
“So, he’s taken them in this direction to play like this and now they’re not assessing situations and not handling pressure like he handles pressure and assesses conditions and situations perfectly. Some of them aren’t.”
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Captain Ben Stokes insists England have not given up hope of winning The Ashes – but admits his side have not been able to stand up to the pressure Australia have applied on them.
‘Thin options’ create ‘problem’ for Stokes
England were in a strong position in the first Test in Perth before a second batting collapse of the match gifted Australia victory inside two days.
In Brisbane, a hugely disappointing fielding performance that included five dropped catches in Australia’s first innings allowed the hosts to build a big lead that proved insurmountable.
Hussain’s fellow former England captain and co-podcast host Michael Atherton warned that the problem with Stokes potentially turning on some of his squad is a lack of strong options to replace them.
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Speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket podcast, Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton debate Brendon McCullum’s ‘overprepared’ claim as England head into a crucial third Test against Australia in Adelaide.
Atherton said: “The problem though is if you’re saying you’re getting to a stage where they’re not performing and ‘you’re not my friend anymore, I’m going to leave you out’, the back-up options are pretty thin.”
England No 3 batter Ollie Pope’s place in the side has come under discussion in the media following the disappointing nature of his dismissals in the opening matches, with Jacob Bethell appearing to be the most likely replacement.
Addressing Atherton’s concerns, Hussain said: “They are (thin on options). It would have to be either re-jigging, which neither of us really like, with Will Jacks or something, or Bethell coming in on the back of a few runs.”
Ashes series in Australia 2025-26
Australia lead five-match series 2-0
