In order to get accustomed to the conditions and to do well in the World Test Championship final and in Ashes 2023, star Australia players Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne joined Sussex and Glamorgan respectively, and played a few matches in the County Championship Division II. Labuschagne was terrific with the bat, scoring 502 runs in five matches while Smith struggled a bit, as the 34-year-old has 122 runs to his name in three matches.
Talking about Australians playing county cricket ahead of the Ashes, England skipper Ben Stokes stated that it will not make a lot of difference. The all-rounder eventually welcomed the move and stated that it is better for county cricket if more international cricketers join the league.
“I’ve got absolutely no issue with it whatsoever. Marcus North (Durham director of cricket) messaged me and said: ‘Is it OK if we sign an Australian?’ and I said, ‘Mate, it’s absolutely fine. Don’t worry.’ It’s great for our game if you get international players coming over. Why would you not want superstar players representing our counties? When it comes to the Ashes I don’t think it will make any difference,” Stokes said in an interview published in Daily Mail.
“Steve Smith could have got four ducks in a row for Sussex but we all know he could still then get 700 runs in the Ashes,” he further added.
The priority is making sure I can fulfill that role as the fourth seamer in the Ashes: Stokes
In the one-off Test against Ireland, Stokes became the first captain in the history of Test cricket to win a match without batting, bowling, or wicketkeeping. His knee injury has bothered him a lot in the recent past and because of the same, the cricketer isn’t bowling at all at the moment. He, however, aims to get better so that the all-rounder can fulfill the role of a fourth pacer in the upcoming Ashes.
“It’s been a very frustrating year bowling with this knee problem and not being able to fulfill my role as fourth seamer properly. I’ve worked so hard to get to the point where, touch wood, I can bowl pain free. I’ve had a little bit of help from some cortisone injections, but everything is going nicely, and I won’t rush it because the priority is making sure I can fulfill that role as fourth seamer in the Ashes,” Stokes said on his injury.
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