Michael Vaughan Says Stokes’ Mentality Is All About Winning the Ashes

The former England captain, Michael Vaughan, believes that the upcoming Ashes will be a test of Stokes’ leadership. He fully backs the England captain, saying that he has a winning mentality which will give Australia a tough challenge during the series. This statement holds a lot of value, because England is seriously confident this time to win the Ashes on the Australian shores.

While speaking at an event in London, Vaughan highlighted that the England team needs a trophy to prove their credentials in the Ashes. Michael Vaughan is considered a strong voice in English cricket, because his Ashes success in the 2005 series is still remembered by everyone.

"I think they need a trophy. I mean, would I take two-all now? Probably, let's be honest. In the last few series, 2010-11 is the only time that I've seen England have success. We won one Test match in 2002-03, we won three Test matches in 2010-11. 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.” said Michael Vaughan.

He described that Ben Stokes is a captain who wants to dominate the opposition. It is his topmost priority to perform well in the Ashes, and now is the time for him to deliver in Australia.

"But I think Ben 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. And 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." said Michael Vaughan.

The former captain also cautioned England not to just think about using pace in the Ashes. He believes that the conditions in Australia could be somewhat similar to those in England, so the visitors will need to select their squad wisely to maintain the right balance.

"I don't think it's all about pace. I'd be very, very wary to just think that because we've got Jofra, because we've got Mark Wood, Brydon Carse, Gus Atkinson that can bowl with a bit of gas, that's all you need.” said Michael Vaughan.

He further said that the bowling performance of Ben Stokes will be crucial in the Ashes. This is indeed an important belief, one that is also supported by other former England cricketers who know the conditions in Australia very well.

"I guess Ben's the one bowler that you can just go, okay, you go back to top of off. It's the one concern I have about the England attack that I'm thinking, who's going to continuously hit the top of off if the ball's wobbling around? Pace, yes, but it might be a series where the top of off stump is the area to go for." said Michael Vaughan.

The first Ashes Test will begin on November 7, with Australia most likely to be captained by Steve Smith. He will take charge in place of Pat Cummins, who has been ruled out of the opening Test due to injury. England is therefore confident to get a good start in the series, as they are looking to exploit a gap in the Australian bowling lineup that can feature just two genuine quicks in Perth.