Ben Stokes Ashes criticism ‘part of the job’ as ex-England star defends former players’ views

Ben Stokes has been involved in a heated exchange with former England players over the lack of warm-up matches ahead of the Ashes, but Mark Butcher has now weighed in on the controversy

Former England cricketer Mark Butcher believes that dealing with criticism is part and parcel of being a Test captain. This comes in the wake of a heated discussion surrounding Ben Stokes and England’s preparation for The Ashes.

The tension is palpable as England gears up to start their crucial series against Australia in Perth this Friday, reigniting an age-old cricket rivalry.

Stokes faces a daunting task of reclaiming the urn, a feat England hasn’t achieved since 2015, and they haven’t tasted victory Down Under since the 2010/2011 series. Given this, meticulous preparation is vital.

However, there’s been a clear disagreement between former England players and the current skipper over what constitutes the best preparation.

The visiting team chose to play just one warm-up match, an internal three-day friendly, a stark departure from the practice of older touring teams who would participate in several matches. This decision drew criticism from prominent figures like Ian Botham and Michael Vaughan, leading to Stokes retorting by labelling the ex-players as “has-beens” and defending his team’s approach.

Butcher has now responded to the England captain’s comments. Speaking to Boyle Sports, he said: “Facing criticism from former players is part of the gig – so the fact that Stokes has decided to rise to it and have a bit of a pop back is interesting, but that’s his character anyway. You’d expect him to stand up for his own team and stand up for the decisions that they’ve made and live and die by that.

“The interesting thing is that in my line of work, you have to be able to be honest in terms of what your opinions are, but always look at it from the point of view that there’s a constructive point to what you’re saying. You don’t just have a pop at people for no particular reason, at least.

“That’s all just part and parcel of it – so when pundits and other people are asked questions they’re meant for the public. And if there’s a team that gets under your skin, then that perhaps is more your problem than it is anybody else’s, but I honestly wouldn’t pay too much attention to it.”

England secured victory over the England Lions by five wickets in their sole warm-up fixture, with attention now turning to their crucial opening clash in Perth. Based on the pre-tour rhetoric and memories of the 2023 Ashes series, it’s shaping up to be an explosive battle between these historic rivals.

Tensions have been simmering between both camps, particularly following Alex Carey’s contentious dismissal of Jonny Bairstow. Butcher recalls the sheer intensity that defines Ashes cricket.

He added: “I remember on my first Ashes tour getting off the plane in Australia, you’d be collecting your baggage from the carousel, and I remember them just taking every single piece of kit out of the coffins [bags].

“They’re spraying your bats and spraying the soles of your shoes and basically treating you like criminals from the second you arrive – and that was when you went; ‘Okay, this is how it’s going to be’!

“You’re going down there for a 2-3 month tour, and it’s like being involved in a London Derby, like Arsenal vs Tottenham, for three months on the spin. That’s the level of scrutiny and interest – newspaper stories and everybody in the country is interested in The Ashes and there isn’t anything like that anywhere else. Even in India, you get a little bit of a break from it.

“It’s not as in your face, but in Australia, The Ashes are treated on a different level to anywhere else.”

Former England cricketer Mark Butcher, was speaking to BOYLE Sports, who offer the latest cricket betting odds ahead of the upcoming Ashes series.