Ben Stokes excited about 'different challenges' for Pakistan

 Ben Stokes excited about 'different challenges' for Pakistan

Ben Stokes said on Monday it was "horrific" to think of what England could have achieved after a successful first season as captain and a solid performance against South Africa.

England took just 25 minutes to complete a nine-wicket victory over the Proteas on the Oval, with just over two days on the field to secure a 2-1 series victory.

It also means England have won six of their seven Tests under the new leadership duo of Stokes and coach Brendon McCallum - a match that marked Joe Root as captain. The record for one win in 17 matches ended the reign a far cry.

New Zealand, the world Test champions, were beaten 3-0 before England beat India in a one-off Test that was postponed from last year before sending the Proteas away due to coronavirus concerns in the Indian camp.

All of these victories are marked by a willingness to make dashing runs while taking as much pressure off the players as possible, although, as South Africa captain Dean Elgar has pointed out, much of England's success has been built on red based on the team's traditions. match.

But they all happened on home soil, with Stokes determined that England should be "going dangerous" in cricket in their next Test series, a three-match tour of Pakistan in December.

England have been without two injured fast bowlers Jofra Archer and Mark Wood all season, but Stokes is excited by the prospect of having both fast bowlers available next year as his side attempt to bring the Ashes back to arch-rivals Australia at home .

"Who knows how far we can go in the next few years?" he said.

“ہمارے پاس دو معیاری تیز گیند باز ہیں جو اس موسم گرما میں شدید زخمی ہوئے ہیں اور بہت ساری کرکٹ سے محروم ہیں۔

"آپ جوفرا اور ووڈی کو اس مرکب میں شامل کرتے ہیں جو بالکل فٹ بیٹھتا ہے - یہ سوچنا خوفناک ہے کہ چیزیں کہاں جا سکتی ہیں، خاص طور پر گیند کے ساتھ۔"

Pakistan challenge 'excited'

But before that, England face the very different challenge of travelling to Pakistan, who have not played in a series since 2005 due to safety concerns.

"یہ وہی ہے جو ہمیں پاکستان میں کرنے کی کوشش کرنی ہے اور کرتے رہنا ہے، ہم اس حقیقت سے باز نہیں رہ سکتے کہ ہم نے سات میں سے چھ میچ جیتے ہیں کیونکہ ہم جا رہے ہیں۔ to face a completely different challenge," he said.

"(We have to) go to the danger that Pakistan will throw at us.

"It's a hot country and you're not going to get as much help with the ball as you would in England. You're going to face more spin.

"یہ ہمارے لیے ایک نیا چیلنج ہے اور جس کے بارے میں ہم پرجوش ہیں۔ To show in different situations, we can show a positive mindset and always try to put the pressure back on the opposition," he added. .

Even former New Zealand captain McCallum was surprised by Stokes' performance since taking office.

It's only been 12 months since Stokes battled anxiety and panic attacks, which led him to take a break from the game.

Stokes also had to deal with the death of his father from brain cancer in 2020, and a no-holds-barred TV documentary about the all-rounder covers the painful subject.

"ہم سب نے دستاویزی فلم دیکھی ہے اور وہ زندگی میں جس دباؤ سے گزر رہا ہے، لیکن وہ اس وقت جہاں ہے، وہ اور اس کا کپتان، وہ شخص ہے جو ہم سب واقعی ہو سکتے ہیں۔ proud of," McCallum said.

"I thought he was going to be a great leader, but I didn't realise he was going to be as good as he is now. His own game is great, his leadership is amazing and he goes through walls on the wing.

"وہ نہ صرف پیغام پہنچانے کے قابل تھا، بلکہ اس نے پیغام کو پورے گروپ میں پھیلانے کی اجازت دی۔"