“There is no place for weak men in my dressing room.” That was England captain Ben Stokes’s frustrated verdict after another crushing defeat to Australia in the second Test.
Like many England cricket fans, I’m disillusioned with their performances in Australia this winter. Waking early and checking the score has produced an involuntary groan each time - much to the annoyance of my sleeping wife. Since the Brisbane defeat, the pile-on has been relentless, with every pundit, podcaster and pontificator finding fault in everything from technique and preparation to supposed attitudes and motivations.
Stokes and his coach Brendon McCullum have sought to then deflect all criticism levelled at them, seemingly continuing to outwork their plan despite all evidence pointing to its frailty.
Why Christian celebrities matter so much to us
“This is a World Cup swimming in star names...”Jonathan Liew in The Guardian 1 has argued that the …