London [UK], November 1 : Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes the upcoming Ashes series will present the perfect opportunity for Test skipper Ben Stokes to leave his mark as leader, urging the all-rounder to "deliver" and bring the urn back to England.
The Ashes series between Australia and England for the 2025-26 season will begin from November 21, with the first Test to be played at Optus Stadium in Perth. The opening match will run until November 25. The second Test, a day-night encounter, is scheduled from December 4 to 8 at The Gabba in Brisbane.
Action will then move to the Adelaide Oval for the third Test, scheduled to take place from December 17 to 21. The fourth Test will take place at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) from December 25 to 29. The series will conclude with the fifth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), scheduled to run from January 4 to 8.
"I think Ben Stokes and his mentality, and the way that he plays his cricket, this is his moment. He has to deliver, and he has to get that urn in his hand. It's not putting him under pressure. They'll be speaking in this kind of language in the dressing room. They will expect to win this series, and now's the time to deliver," Michael Vaughan said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
The former cricketer believes it's time for England to back their progress with tangible success, admitting that the team "needs a trophy" after years of underachievement in Australia since their 2010-11 Ashes triumph.
"I think they need a trophy. Let's be honest. In the last few series, the 2010-11 season is the only time I've seen England achieve success. We won one Test match in the 2002-03 season, and we won three Test matches in the 2010-11 season. We haven't won a Test since. So actually looking at growth in terms of what English cricket is delivering and, crikey, if you could get a two-all series, you'd obviously take that," the 51-year-old added.
England squad for Ashes: Ben Stokes (captain), Harry Brook (vice-captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Mark Wood.
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