"No one really cares if you’re tired. You've just got to put your boots back on and crack on with the job in hand." - Ben Stokes
A tour to Australia is as tough as it gets for England's cricketers, and this Ashes series has been no different.
Every session of every Test day brings immense challenges, and the pressure has been intense on Ben Stokes and his England squad.
Rising to the occasion in those moments makes or breaks a team, and Ben thrives in those situations. Indeed, he believes that pressure is "a privilege" if you're an elite sports person.
"You get put in pressure situations all the time when you walk out there and it's the same when you're tired," he said.
"If you feel like you're under pressure, or if you feel tired, it's actually a sort of privilege to feel those feelings when you're out there playing for England. That's the way that I look at it.
"I’ve been lucky enough to be able to do something that I've loved and wished that I could have done when I was a kid. So if I'm out there and I'm in a pressure situation, or I feel tired, it's a privilege to be able to be in those situations, because it's something that I love doing."

This Ashes series has been notable for the variable breaks between Tests. England had 12 days to prepare for the second Test in Brisbane after the first Test in Perth finished inside two days. And after a long build-up to the third Test in Adelaide, there were much shorter gaps between Adelaide and Melbourne, and now Melbourne and Sydney.
For Ben, that's just something you have to handle if you want to succeed at the highest level.
"I bat and I bowl, and you can always do with more time off your feet, but when it's intense, you don't moan, you don't complain.
"Part of the job is being fit. And if you have bowled and then you end up having to be back out there sooner than you expected, it's about putting your boots back on, getting back out there and trying and win a game for your country.
"We’re all fit. No one really cares if you’re tired. You've just got to put your boots back on and crack on with the job in hand."











.png)






