“We had to make some decisions about what we thought was best for the team going into the Ashes series,” Stokes said at the time. “We want to get out there and get that jar back.”
Stokes now says he regrets his comments at Lord’s. Although he insists those comments have had no impact on the team, there are suggestions that management are wary of players looking too far ahead and potentially overlooking the task ahead of them.
“Any time we talk about Australia, I know there is a lot of anticipation around it, but there is still a big series before that,” Stokes said. “We have India and I think, through my own fault, I have talked too much about the Ashes and put too much emphasis on that series, considering how much cricket we had to play before that.
“I quite like being in the present, in the moment, but it’s quite difficult when there’s ashes coming around the corner.
“I’ve been a part of quite a few of them now and I always look at the calendar and think, ‘Oh, I’m almost there.’ It’s hard to avoid that, but I’m just trying to keep myself focused on it right now and as we move forward. We know what needs to be done and when the Ashes are next series we will focus on that.”
On the field, it has been an overall positive year for England. They will have a winning record, nine of their 16 wins so far and three series wins, regardless of the outcome of Saturday’s test in Hamilton. However, the 4-1 and 2-1 losses to India and Pakistan respectively were still a smart move, especially when they were ahead 1-0 on both occasions.
“17 (Tests) in a year is a lot of time when you add in other cricket,” Stokes added. “It’s been a long and difficult time, but it’s been a really good year. We’ve played some good cricket and found some exceptionally talented players who have shown they can achieve great results on the biggest stage playing for their country. Overall, I’m really happy.”
It was also a year for Stokes where he discovered his physical limitations and areas in which he needed to improve as a captain. These two aspects are intrinsically linked.
He returned to bowling as an all-rounder after knee surgery in late 2023, but was interrupted by a hamstring injury, missing four Tests. It had a knock-on effect in Pakistan as Stokes’ mood left his team-mates “walking on eggshells”.
“There was a learning curve with my Pakistan experience as captain at the start of the tour, and looking back on it (what he said at Lord’s) and even saying things like that, we really are. It’s a far cry from what my leadership was going for. It’s far from staying where you are and worrying about what you should be worrying about.
“In a leadership role, you may be in a different position than where you started, and you may think that’s the right thing to say or think, and that takes you away from a successful way of thinking, a successful way of speaking within a group. Yes, I think there’s a learning curve as a leader. “
Vithushan Ehantharajah is the Editor-in-Chief of ESPNcricinfo.
