Ashes 2025-26: Ben Stokes wants 'empathy' for England players amid horrid performance
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Ashes 2025-26: Ben Stokes wants 'empathy' for England players amid horrid performance")
Ashes: Ben Stokes wants 'empathy' for England players amid horrid performance Photograph: (AFP)
While Stokes' demand isn't unfair, England, as a team, has failed to live up to their end of the bargain and give fans something to cheer for as they trail 0-3 in five-Test Ashes with hopes of winning the urn in Australia buried deep until the next tour Down Under.
England skipper Ben Stokes and his troops are under heavy scrutiny following their horrid Ashes 2025-26 performance in the first three Tests which they have lost. With Australia 3-0 ahead in the five-Test series, England are now looking to salvage something out of the last two Tests. The Three Lions, however, would have have to navigate the muddy waters of their break in Noosa before the third Test in Adelaide. England managing directory Rob Key has already announced a probe into the break as well as the video of a drunk Ben Duckett.
Stokes wants empathy for England players
Speaking ahead of the upcoming Boxing Day Test at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Stokes said to SEN Radio: "It is very gruelling and it is tough when you're here, there and everywhere. You have to deal with the emotions of being away, the scrutiny that you are under, in particular when things aren't going well… There needs to be a little bit of empathy."
While Stokes' demand isn't unfair, England, as a team, has failed to live up to their end of the bargain and give fans something to cheer for.
England without Archer for last two Tests
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England's hopes of taking something out of the last two Tests took a serious hit when express pacer Jofra Archer was ruled out of the series with another injury. England are already without Mark Wood who played only the first Test on the five-match series before being ruled out with injury.
Both the pacers were relied upon heavily as England looked to win their first Ashes urn in over 15 years Down Under but all that went out of the window with below par performances across first two Tests and showing up to the party too late in Adelaide.
