England Test team declared 'below-average' as Tim Paine blasts Ben Stokes over nonsense claims

Former Australia captain and wicketkeeper-batter Tim Paine has criticized England Test captain Ben Stokes' recent comments about his Test team. Stokes recently said that the England Test team’s style of play is groundbreaking and fans are lucky to watch them play, with Paine calling out the star all-rounder for overstating their achievements.

Paine pointed out that England recently suffered a 4-1 series defeat in India and are currently placed in the bottom half of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 points table after Stokes suggested that their aggressive brand of cricket could help them end up as one of the best teams ever in Test cricket history, despite their recent setbacks.

England's Test team not living up to their own hype: Tim Paine to Ben Stokes

Even Stokes said that fans are lucky to watch England in action in Test cricket. Taking a dig at England’s Test captain, Paine noted that Stokes may have made those comments in the context of a broader speech in the dressing room because their on-paper performance is different from his remarks.

Paine bluntly said that England is not revolutionizing the game or achieving something so extraordinary that hasn't been seen before, while labeling Stokes’ Test team as an average side. He also mentioned that England is assuming that they are doing amazing stuff, but the reality is just the opposite of their statements, saying they are not doing anything good.

Tim Paine said on SEN Tassie Breakfast: “Oh, mate, I don't know, I think it was taken slightly out of context because he was talking in a changing room and it was a bigger speech, so I will say that. However, it's just this continued belief that they're completely changing the game and they're doing this amazing stuff and everyone's going to remember it … they're not.”

Paine added, “You're coming dead last in the World Test Championship. You're not going to be a team that everyone remembers watching and you're not doing anything outrageously good that we haven't seen before. You're an average cricket team. (Actually) you're at the moment, a below-average cricket team and I think they need to get their head around that a little bit.”

I don't think you're living rent-free in Australian cricketers’ minds: Tim Paine

In the end, the Tasmanian has strongly reacted to Stokes' recent remarks on Fox Cricket’s X handle, where he claimed that England had mentally dominated the Australian cricket team.

Paine clarified that Stokes' comments were directed at the media production rather than the Aussie players. He emphasized that Stokes' claims of living "rent-free" in Australian cricketers' minds were baseless.

Paine signed off by saying, “Then secondly, when he replies back on X, I'm not sure who he thinks he's actually talking to. It says, ‘We had our foot on your throats for two days, rent-free and all that’. You’re talking to Fox Cricket production. That's not the Australian cricket team that you're talking to. I don't think you're living rent-free in any of the Australian cricketers’ minds.”

Notably, the England cricket team is scheduled to play a three-match Test series against the West Indies from July 10, 2024, at the Lord’s and then they will host Sri Lanka in a Test series in August.