England captain Ben Stokes has described the current period as the "toughest time" of his captaincy as the team faces a potential 5-0 whitewash following their Ashes loss. With the series already gone after a 3-0 deficit, the squad has come under fire for a mid-series trip to the Queensland resort of Noosa, which has been characterized by some media reports as having a "stag party" atmosphere.
"With the reports and everything circulating around right now, my main concern right now is my players," Stokes told reporters at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. He acknowledged that while scrutiny is expected after losing three matches, his priority remains the mental well-being of a group currently "piling on top" of each other under public pressure.
Stokes, who has been vocal about his own mental health struggles and took a five-month break from the sport in 2021, said he feels uniquely positioned to protect his teammates. Referring to his own past experiences, including a 2017 street brawl in Bristol and subsequent suspension, he emphasized that he understands how external noise can impact a player's headspace.
"I have firsthand experience with how this can affect people. And my role as England captain is to protect my players as much as I possibly can," Stokes said. He noted that when a team is losing, every action is analyzed, but argued that his most important job right now is ensuring the players are in the right state to perform.
The pressure has intensified following an unverified social media video appearing to show opener Ben Duckett inebriated. Team director Rob Key has confirmed an investigation into the squad’s behaviour and alcohol intake during the Noosa break. Despite the video and Duckett’s struggling series average of 16, Stokes has offered the opener his full support.
"I’ve obviously reached out, spoken to him and offered my complete support throughout this," Stokes said, adding that he urged Duckett to come to him for help because he knows "it’s not a nice place to be." Duckett has retained his place in the side for the Boxing Day Test, with Stokes describing him as an "incredibly influential" member of the dressing room.
Major changes have been made to the XI ahead of the fourth Test at the MCG, where a crowd of 90,000 is expected. Ollie Pope has been dropped after averaging just 17 across 16 Ashes innings, making way for Jacob Bethell to make a high-pressure debut at number three.
The bowling attack has also suffered a blow with Jofra Archer ruled out for the remainder of the tour due to a left side strain; Gus Atkinson returns to the side in his place. Stokes admitted the injury to Archer was "worrying" but insisted the team still has plenty to play for despite the series being decided.
"When you’re 0-3 down, and you’ve lost the series, everything you say, everything you do, gets scrutinized, and rightly so," Stokes admitted. "You don’t really have a leg to stand on when you’ve lost three games in a huge series like this."
However, the captain remained determined to find a positive result in the final two matches, urging his players to use the criticism as fuel rather than letting it overwhelm them. He stressed that representing the "three lions on your shirt" remains a massive responsibility, regardless of the series scoreline.