Australian women’s cricket captain Alyssa Healy, the wife of Mitchell Starc, has called for England players to take more accountability and take the pressure off captain Ben Stokes as he stares down the unwanted record of leading an Ashes team to a series defeat in record time.
The English team has had a target on their back since they arrived in Australia in November, with their preparation and inconsistent play leading to a barrage of criticism.
They face an even tougher test with the loss of injured bowling spearhead Mark Wood, with fellow quick Gus Atkinson in the firing line having taken just three wickets, while leaking over 200 runs in the first two Tests.
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The English will have to rely even more on Ben Stokes and paceman Jofra Archer to remain competitive, with the skipper already shouldering a big load with the ball.
Stokes was also strong with the bat in the second innings in Brisbane, in an ultimately futile effort to lead his side back into a competitive position.
While captains are supposed to lead from the front, Healy claims Stokes has had to play too big a role, claiming that it is visually obvious while England are fielding that he is getting very little help in regards to bowling plans and field changes. She said Harry Brook, as vice captain, had been particularly negligent in his duties.
Alyssa Healy. Pankaj Nangia via Getty Images
“I actually think Ben Stokes shoulders too much of the accountability for everything,” Healy said on the Willow Talk podcast.
“I have full praise for him. He stands there at the end of every Test match that they lose and says, ‘I’ll take accountability for this, this, [and] this. I did this wrong, I did that wrong’.
“I’ve never heard any of the other teammates say that. How about taking a little bit of load off your captain? ‘Hi, my name’s Harry Brook, I played a shocking shot twice this Test match and I put our team under the pump unnecessarily twice’.
“It’s, ‘That’s the way I play, I’m probably going to get out doing that every now and then.’ There’s your captain standing there sticking up for him.
Harry Brook of England reacts after being dismissed by a Mitchell Starc in Brisbane. Getty
“For me, that screams trouble, and that’s creating a bubble environment that him and (coach) Brendon [McCullum] are trying to empower their players to be good enough to be out there and compete.
“But that bubble will start to crack at some point – Ben Stokes will start to crack at some point.
“If I was his teammate right now, and I genuinely cared about my captain, I’d do something about it because it’s not good enough.”
Wood’s absence is a blow to an inexperienced England attack that was well handled by Australia’s batters at the Gabba, where the hosts won by eight wickets.
Perth was Wood’s first test in 15 months following a long period to rehabilitate the knee.
Ben Stokes. Cricket Australia via Getty Imag
The task doesn’t get any easier for England with Australian captain Pat Cummins returns as captain. Nathan Lyon is also expected to return to the XI.
Australia leads the five-test series 2-0, needing only a draw at the Adelaide Oval to retain the Ashes.
Cummins has not played since Australia’s 3-0 sweep of West Indies in July, where he first experienced the back soreness that ruled him out of the start of the Ashes.
Lyon, meanwhile, was a surprise omission from Australia’s team for its eight-wicket win at the Gabba. Officials have all but confirmed he will return to the side in Adelaide.
The other question mark surrounds Usman Khawaja. The 38-year-old is confident he will overcome a back injury in time for the match, but it remains to be seen whether he will reclaim his spot at the top of the order.
Travis Head made scores of 33 and 22 opening with Jake Weatherald in Brisbane, after the South Australian’s heroic fourth-innings century in the first test in Perth.