Pak vs Eng: Ben Stokes praises ‘special’ win over Pakistan

• Ben Stokes praises England’s 3-0 series win over Pakistan.
• This is the first time Pakistan has ever swept a series at home.
• England captain said Rehan Ahmed is a good sign for English cricket.

Ben Stokes, the captain of England, says that their 3-0 win over Pakistan is something to be very proud of.

With a win by eight wickets in Karachi on Tuesday, England swept Pakistan in a three-match Test series. This is also the first time Pakistan has ever swept a series at home.

Ben Stokes says it won’t really hit him until they get back home.

“Coming into subcontinental conditions and having to think about the game different compared to playing in England, trying a few different things that haven’t been tried before, assessing conditions, to be a bit out there and to see them work, they won’t always work but everything we’ve tried has come off. I’ve learned a lot in terms of the tactical side – that’s the best thing to come out of it,” he said in a press conference after the series,” said Stokes.

“In particular this game [Karachi Test] it was losing the toss and having to bowl first. We know how important the toss can be in the sub-continent, being under a different type of pressure – having to bowl a team out and then bat with runs on the board, that was different to the first two games. But the most impressive thing was that we stuck to how we played. The way in which we managed to apply ourselves under different pressure from the toss, was very pleasing. To bat last on a sub-continent wicket was very good,” he stated.

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Congratulations @englandcricket on winning the #PAKvENG Test series.#UKSePK pic.twitter.com/uCrsSvN47W

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 20, 2022

He said it’s crucial to let the boys know that the only pressure they face is in the game, not outside of it.

Stokes said good things about his teammates and said that everyone on the team helped England win.

“Being out in the sub-continent is one of the hardest places to do it. They’ve been amazing as well. Just a great place to be at the moment for a team, where everyone wants everyone to succeed, and everyone understands their position in the team, even if they’re not playing. It’s been a great team effort to come here and win 3-0, very pleasing,” the captain of England said.

The England skipper also hailed Rehan Ahmed, saying he’s a good sign for English cricket.

“That spell last night, the more he got into it, he was coming to me more often about field placings and changes to the field to try to get them to play certain shots. The Saud wicket, for example, he was the one who brought up the deep square for the sweep, because he said if he top-edges it, it’s going to go straight to him, and then two balls later it did,” he added.

“For an 18-year-old to come into his first Test match and have such a cricket-savvy brain, especially under Test-match pressure, was really good for us. And obviously we got a sniff of what he can do with the bat as well. Very talented young man, and I think just let him progress,” he said.

The captain of England said that the first Test pitch in Rawalpindi was flat and that the challenge should be appreciated.

“It is a great time to be in this dressing room and a great time to be playing for England. I’m just encouraging everyone to turn up every day and enjoy what you’re doing. Obviously, it is easier to do when we are winning the way we are at the moment. The real Test will be when things don’t go so well and that will be the time to make that even more of a thing for us to take out there but I hope we don’t come to that,” he said.

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