'Ben Stokes has to get that Ashes urn' - Michael Vaughan fires fiery message to England

Former England National Cricket Team captain Michael Vaughan has sent a bold message to the Ben Stokes-led English Team ahead of the Ashes 2025-26 in Australia.

Michael Vaughan said that England should anyhow get their hands on the Ashes urn, and a drawn series won't just be enough. He also urged Ben Stokes to deliver both with the bat and ball in the high-octane series.

I think they need a trophy - Michael Vaughan

The first Test of the marquee Ashes series will be played from November 21 at the Perth Stadium. Both Aussies and Englishmen have been preparing hard to get the series result in their favor.

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Over the last decade, the quality of the Ashes series has been absolutely top-notch when the matches have been played in England, but the same can't be said about the matches played in Australia, as the Aussies have shown absolute dominance at home and demolished the Three Lions.

England last won a Test match on Australian soil in January 2011. However, a spirited England team are looking to turn things around this time with Ben Stokes expected to do his magic while leading a bunch of extremely talented players in the squad.

In an interaction at a Viagogo event, the Ashes-winning skipper Michael Vaughan said that England need to win the trophy. He said (as quoted by ESPNCricinfo):

"I think they need a trophy. I mean, would I take two-all now? Probably, let's be honest. In the last few series, 2010-11 is the only time that I've seen England have success. We won one Test match in 2002-03, we won three Test matches in 2010-11. We haven't won a Test since. So actually looking at growth in terms of what English cricket is delivering and, crikey, if you could get a two-all series, you'd obviously take that."

He has to deliver and he has to get that urn in his hand - Michael Vaughan

Ben Stokes has led England to 22 Test wins since becoming the red-ball skipper, and Michael Vaughan thinks his mentality would be to register a victory in the series. He said:

"But I think Ben and his mentality, and the way that he plays his cricket, this is his moment. He has to deliver and he has to get that urn in his hand. And it's not putting him under pressure. They'll be speaking in this kind of language in the dressing room. They will expect to win this series and now's the time to deliver."

Meanwhile, the former England skipper stated that all-out pace is not everything and the Ben Stokes-led side shouldn't get carried away by that notion.

"I don't think it's all about pace. I'd be very, very wary to just think that because we've got Jofra, because we've got Mark Wood, Brydon Carse, Gus Atkinson that can bowl with a bit of gas, that's all you need. Scott Boland, he averages 12 (12.63) because he hits the top of off stump more often than not, and the ball just wobbles around a bit."

I guess Ben's the one bowler that you can just go - Michael Vaughan

Michael Vaughan further said that there will be English conditions in Australia, and someone like Ben Stokes could prove to be very threatening. He explained:

"This series is the series that I look and think. 'give me a Chris Woakes or a Sam Cook' just in case, because we might get conditions that are very, very English and top of off will still be the main threat. And it's who's going to consistently hit the top of off stump.

"There's not many quick bowlers that hit the top of off stump. They're basically there to bowl a bit of pepper and change up the pace of play. I guess Ben's the one bowler that you can just go, okay, you go back to top of off. It's the one concern I have about the England attack that I'm thinking, who's going to continuously hit the top of off if the ball's wobbling around? Pace, yes, but it might be a series where the top of off stump is the area to go for."

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