"Want to win that urn back" - Ben Stokes picks Ashes glory as England's top priority

The Ben Stokes-led England Cricket Team is gearing up to kick-start their blockbuster home summer with the three-match Test series against the West Indies. The opening Test of the three-match Test series between England and the West Indies will be held at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground on July 10.

The Lord’s Test is going to be an emotional one for the hosts as England’s all-time leading Test wicket-taker, James Anderson, will retire from international cricket. Ahead of the first Test against the West Indies, England’s Test captain, Ben Stokes, has expressed a strong desire to reclaim the Ashes Urn in Australia next year.

Ben Stokes sets sights on Ashes glory as England prepares for West Indies Test series

The next Ashes series, featuring five Tests between Australia and England, will take place in November 2025 and January 2026 on Australian soil, and Stokes is aiming to prepare his young brigade for the challenging tour extremely well to snatch the Urn from Pat Cummins and his team.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference at Lord’s, Ben Stokes has outlined his vision for the team's future, emphasizing a long-term strategy aimed at pushing the team to new heights after their Bazball approach backfired on their Test tour of India.

Stokes expressed his desire to not only focus on immediate goals but also to lay the groundwork for consistent success over the coming years. The star all-rounder highlighted the England team's evolution over the past two years, noting a shift towards a more forward-thinking approach rather than solely focusing on short-term objectives.

Furthermore, the skipper has stressed the importance of implementing strategies that would not only enhance the team's collective performance but also nurture individual talents. Looking ahead, Stokes emphasized the upcoming challenge of reclaiming the Ashes in Australia, a goal that holds significant importance for English cricket.

Ben Stokes aims to begin a new era with England’s rising fast bowlers

The skipper further pointed out the emergence of a talented crop of young fast bowlers within the team, which he believes will play a crucial role in England's quest to reclaim the Ashes Urn in Australia next year. Now, Stokes wants to provide these young bowlers with opportunities to gain international experience to be ready for the big challenge on the Australia tour.

Ben Stokes said at the pre-match press conference at Lord’s: “For me, it's about progressing this team, and, you know, we've been a team that's, especially the first two years, been very focused on the here and now and what we need to do, whereas, you know, two years is a long time for something to sort of be fine then. But for me, I want to be able to sort of implement stuff to push this team as far as they can go, not only as, you know, a team collective but also as individuals. And you look at where we've got to go in 18 months' time to Australia.”

Stokes signed off by saying, “We want to win that urn back. We've got an incredibly talented and exciting group of young fast bowlers coming through at the moment. So, giving them the experience of playing international cricket and getting Test matches under their belt will put us in a much stronger position to hopefully go out to Australia and win the Ashes.”