LONDON: England captain Ben Stokes says he wants to be involved in an Ashes series that goes “beyond cricket” as he prepares to face Australia in a five-match series.

The swashbuckling all-rounder has led England to 11 wins from 13 Tests since being appointed captain alongside coach Brendon McCullum last year.

Next week the skipper, who starred in the drawn 2109 Ashes series, will lead his men in the first Test against arch-rivals Australia at Edgbaston.

England have achieved their recent striking success playing an aggressive style of cricket dubbed “Bazball” in reference to McCullum’s nickname.

Doubts persist over whether such an approach can succeed against Australia but Stokes is determined to produce a memorable series that can be compared with the 1981 and 2005 Ashes contests, which made all-rounders Ian Botham and Andrew Flintoff huge stars.

“I’ve seen what it’s like when you get those moments that really ignite an audience and even create something that goes beyond cricket,” Stokes wrote in a column for the Players’ Tribune.

“Flintoff in 05, Beefy [Botham] in 81 — magical events that capture the public imagination and show what cricket can be all about.

“Moments that even people who aren’t normally into cricket stick on the telly for because it’s so exciting and you feel like you’re part of something that you may never get to see again,” the England skipper wrote.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2023