Ashes 2025/26: Ben Stokes Says Australia is Not a Place for Weak Men

Current England Test captain Ben Stokes believes Australia is not a place for weak men. His comments come after his side’s continuous failure to make any headway during their ongoing series meeting.

England’s touring squad to Australia for the 2025/26 Ashes has not found success Down Under so far after two matches. The Aussies handed England their second defeat in 2 games to throw the visiting squad into disarray.

Stokes Speaks on England’s Poor Start to Ashes 2025/26

“Very disappointing,” the skipper said during a post-match presser. “A lot of it comes down to not being able to stand up to the pressure of this game, this format, when the game is on the line,” the captain said in an attempt to urge his players to perform in upcoming Ashes fixtures. Stokes believes England’s failure to maintain control of games has cost them vital points in recent Tests:

“In small passages, we’ve been able to bring the game back into some kind of control and then we’ve let it slip away. We’ve done that again here this week, and it’s very, very disappointing, in particular, because of the ability of the players that we have in that dressing room,” the skipper told reporters.

Ben Stokes Says Australia Keeps “Outdoing” England in 2025 Test

Stokes claims that Australia’s Test squad maintains a solid focus on keeping games under control from the onset. He believes the host’s tough handling of fixtures keeps “outdoing” his side in crucial moments:

“To me, it just seems to be a constant theme at the moment, that when you know the game is in a pressure moment, Australia keep outdoing us in those moments. They say Australia isn’t a place for weak men. We’re definitely not weak, but we need to find something, because we’re two-nil down now we’ve got three more games to go, and we need to, sort it,” he added.

Stokes expresses optimism ahead of remaining Ashes 2025 matches

The England Test captain is not giving up on his side’s chances yet, and believes they have everything required to win the last three games:

“We won’t shy away from the battle but we need to sort things out pretty quick if we want to bring the Ashes back to England,” Stokes added.

England Head Coach Believes Few Changes Needed Ahead of Adelaide Test

Current England Test coach Brendon McCullum believes back-to-back defeats may have a negative effect on his players if they continue to adopt similar patterns in Adelaide. McCullum believes a few days off and slight changes to England’s current training schedule could do the trick:

“I think the boys just need a few days off, and we probably need to change up a few of the training methods,” the coach said.

Full Ashes 2025/26 Schedule

England can get their Test Down Under back on track from December 17, 2025. The visitors will face Australia in Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney from December 17, 2025 to January 8, 2026. Victories for England in these matches will ensure they take the Ashes back home in few weeks.

Australia Ashes 2025/26 Squad

Batters

All-Rounders

Wicketkeepers

Bowlers

England Ashes 2025/26 Squad

Batters

All-Rounders

Wicketkeepers

Bowlers