Ben Stokes interview: Moving on from James Anderson and ‘world’s best keeper’ is right for Ashes

“When it comes to selection stuff, me and Baz came up with a consistent way of delivering a message. Baz does good and bad news and I’m there to have a follow up chat if players want to do that. I messaged Jonny and he is having time with his family. He is enjoying time relaxing but I have no doubt we will have a chat at some point.

“Ben Foakes is an amazing wicketkeeper, the best in the world, but there are other things we have taken into consideration with Jamie’s selection. It is one of those things as an England team you would love players you have picked to play in that role for their counties but also understanding that counties have their own ways of operating that they feel is best for them to be successful.”

The primacy of that Ashes series in English minds re-emerged last week when Stokes had a dig at Australia on X, formerly Twitter, saying his team are “living in their heads’ after last year’s Ashes comeback from 2-0 down to level the series, only to be denied a win by rain. There has been an element of rewriting history in Australia, forgetting the storm that saved Pat Cummins from becoming the first Australia captain to lose a 2-0 lead, but England are also without a series win since Pakistan in 2022.

“The tweet was a bit tongue in cheek. It is all fun and games. I don’t mind that kind of thing as long as it is not taken too seriously,” he says. “People can say what they want to say. It is England versus Australia. There is always going to be niggle.”

‘The knee is the best it has been for a long time’

One of the crucial changes this week will be the sight of Stokes with ball in hand. His recovery from knee surgery was so good he managed to bowl ahead of time against India, dismissing Rohit Sharma first ball, and since then has built up strength with Durham. In three championship matches he has taken 18 wickets at 18.83, bowling like his younger self.

“The bowling is coming on really well. It is great to be able to sit here after two years not knowing how it was going to be on a day to day basis to now being as good as gold. It is really refreshing for me as a player and captain knowing we can always have four seamers. It balances the team so much better. I know I offer the team so much more when playing a bigger role with bat and ball. The knee is the best it has been for a long time. There is always going to be something there. It doesn’t mean it is brand new, but it is a thousand times better than what it was,” says Stokes.

“Before the operation I was bowling bouncers because it was the easiest ball for me to bowl because there is more margin for error. The hardest thing when my knee was bad was to hold length and line for a sustained period of time because of how I was landing. I went from being a very braced front knee to incredibly bent because it was too sore. When I was braced it was excruciating so it got further and further bent and that is why I found it very hard for sustained periods of time bowling Test match lengths but now I don’t have to worry about that.”

Without Anderson and Broad, Stokes will naturally have to bowl more. Will there be a moment at Trent Bridge, venue for the second Test, when he automatically looks around to summon Anderson for one more burst? “If I was ever to say ‘I wish I had Jimmy here’ it would not put too much confidence in the bowlers I have out there would it? I have full confidence they can take on a very similar role Jimmy played for England. Giving people game time now will hopefully put us in a strong position to go to Australia and win the urn back.”

Even Anderson will admit that is the main thing.