'The best players in England' - Stokes backs batters

Captain Ben Stokes backed his batters aft different illness condemned England to bid decision successful Pakistan.

England were dismissed for 112 connected time 3 of the deciding 3rd Test - their batters outclassed again successful spinning conditions - arsenic Pakistan completed a crushing nine-wicket triumph earlier luncheon to triumph the bid 2-1.

"There is nary uncertainty successful my caput and nary uncertainty successful Brendon's caput [coach Brendon McCullum] that we person the got the champion apical six players successful England," Stokes told Sky Sports.

"You ever prime your champion players."

England began time 3 24-3, inactive 53 runs down Pakistan's first-innings score, but mislaid their past 7 wickets successful 17.4 overs amid a flurry of turning deliveries and mediocre strokes.

Stokes' broadside began the bid by scoring 823-7 declared connected a level transportation successful their first-Test triumph but since, erstwhile Pakistan person opted for spinning pitches, they person managed lone 814 crossed 4 innings combined successful 2 dense defeats.

"The past mates of Tests we've been thrown immoderate challenges and it's beauteous casual to measure that were weren't capable to basal up to those challenges," added Stokes.

England's batting struggles permission fig 3 Ollie Pope, who was retired for 1 precocious connected time two, the astir vulnerable.

He managed conscionable 55 runs crossed the bid astatine an mean of 11, adding to a mixed twelvemonth successful Tests.

Despite scoring 3 centuries, England's vice-captain is averaging 32 successful 2024 - the lowest mean of immoderate subordinate to person deed 3 hundreds successful a calendar twelvemonth successful Test history.

England's adjacent Test against New Zealand begins connected 27 November and McCullum suggested Pope, who captained successful Stokes' lack during the archetypal Test and against Sri Lanka during the location summer, volition support his place.

"What helium did done the summer, stepping up with his captaincy and enactment and him stepping up into that role, adjacent his 150 successful that last Test match, we cognize erstwhile helium gets in, helium gets large scores and defining scores arsenic well," said McCullum said.

"It's not an casual spot to bat astatine fig three. I cognize he'll beryllium disappointed with the measurement of runs successful this bid but I expect him to bounce backmost successful New Zealand.

"We'll marque definite he's got the required enactment to bash so."

The backing of Pope is simply a acquainted trait of Stokes and McCullum's tenure, with a fig of batters, notably opener Zak Crawley, retained contempt a tally of debased scores.

Crawley repaid England by averaging 53.33 successful past year's Ashes bid but has not managed a period since.

He is viewed arsenic a subordinate who could execute good successful Australia, wherever England question for the adjacent Ashes bid successful the wintertime of 2025-26.

Stokes denied the existent apical six are definite of their spot erstwhile the Ashes begins but was steadfast successful their defence.

"You can't unopen the doorway connected everything," helium said. "Then you are being single-minded towards what you privation to do.

"But backmost to what I said before, determination is nary uncertainty successful my caput that we person the champion apical six batsmen successful England."

England are guaranteed to marque 1 alteration to their batting line-up successful New Zealand, with wicketkeeper Jamie Smith expected to miss portion oregon each of the bid for the commencement of his archetypal child.

Essex wicketkeeperJordan Cox is successful enactment to instrumentality Smith's spot and helium could enactment further unit connected Pope with a bully series.

Stokes himself struggled successful Pakistan, with a apical people of 37 crossed 4 innings. He was bizarrely dismissed lbw playing nary changeable arsenic England's slump continued successful Rawalpindi.

"I americium ever trying to germinate and accommodate whether against rotation oregon pace," helium said.

"The disappointment is ever there, it ever hits hard, but erstwhile you person truthful overmuch acquisition to autumn backmost connected it is simply a small spot easier to take."