Should Ben Stokes quit as England captain after Ashes humiliation? | Cricket | Sport

Ben Stokes admitted that he was “broken” after England were put to the sword again in the third Ashes Test in Adelaide. Australia lead by 356 runs, with wickets to spare, and are on the verge of winning the series. England have rarely looked convincing Down Under, and serious questions are being raised about Stokes’s future as captain.

Travis Head kissed the ground as he sealed a century, with England effectively kissing goodbye to any hope they had of rescuing a series that had by all accounts been locked up by the hosts on the second day. Stokes and Jofra Archer put on a ninth-wicket stand of 106 runs, and won the morning session through the skipper’s slowest half-century of his Test career from 159 balls.

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But England’s leader did not bowl all day and Will Jacks proved the wrong selection, struggling to gain any control and finishing with figures of one for 107 from his 19 overs.

Head made light work of some intricate fields from Stokes, and when joined by Usman Khawaja, the pair took the Test and series out of England’s hands.

Australia could retain the Ashes with two Tests to spare and although Stokes led from the front when batting, as he so often has during his time as captain, Head’s 142 (not out) gave the visiting party a bitter reality check and ended any hope of an unlikely comeback.

Stokes will be lamented for not playing a spinner in Adelaide. If Shoaib Bashir is not selected here then the question must be why he was brought along in the first place.

Stokes provided more concern regarding his fitness, with no official reason given for him not to bowl, though his batting exploits did see him stand in 40-degree heat for much of the second day.

His innings was indicative, though, of the style of innings England had protested previously, as despite piling on the runs, the slow nature meant that there was little scoreboard pressure being added. 

The Ashes are all but over and serious questions will be posed over Stokes and his leadership. Though it does feel as if the series could, somehow, get even worse.

Stokes has been an excellent captain in the past but he was off it in Perth and few would blame him if he decided to give up the captaincy. However, the Pakistan series demonstrated his exceptional capabilities as a skipper. A lot of big decisions are on the horizon.

Ashes series 2025

First Test (Perth): Australia beat England by eight wickets

Second Test (Brisbane): Australia beat England by eight wickets