Cricketer Ben Stokes has praised the massive change in English cricket ahead of Englands eagerly anticipated Ashes showdown with Australia this summer.
After a disastrous Cricket World Cup campaign that saw England eliminated at the group stages, the side has produced a remarkable turnaround in fortunes, defeating World Cup-runners up New Zealand 3-2 in the recent One Day International series as well as beating New Zealand by 56 runs at a Twenty20 match at Lords.
The 24-year-old all rounder told IBTimes UK that he hopes the change in fortunes can see England avenge their 5-0 whitewash they suffered against Australia in the previous Ashes series in 2013-14.
Things have gone really, really well. Theres been a massive change in English cricket and I feel like weve got the supporters on our side again after a pretty torrid 12 months. Hopefully well get the same sort of support in the upcoming Ashes series, he said.
Things didnt go to well the last Ashes series I played in. They couldnt have got any worse really, I think we won one game the whole trip. But its amazing to be part of this new mould of cricket and hopefully the good form weve shown over the past six, seven weeks can be transferred into the five matches against Australia.
Stokes is one of a number of young English cricketers who have been in impressive form going into the Ashes series, along with batsmen Joe Root and Jos Buttler and spinner Adil Rashid.
Its exciting to see a group of young and inexperienced lads do so well against the second best team in the world, beating them in the one day series and in the Twenty20 as well, Stokes said.
The first five-day test match of the 2015 Ashes series will be held at the Sophia Gardens ground in Cardiff.
