COOK TELLS STOKES TO COOL IT
ENGLAND captain Alastair Cook has ordered Ben Stokes to pull his head in and not allow himself to be baited by Australia.
Fiery all-rounder Stokes slammed the Aussies for reverting to arrogant behaviour as soon as they got on top in the second Test.
Stokes forecast “there would be a little bit more Ashes spice” at put him in a boxing ring, have a race against him (Johnson can do it all).
“He takes some unbelievable catches, gets some unbelievable runouts, scores Test hundreds and bowls like a genius.
“I think he’s grown from a young player into a leader in our group and he’s bowling as well as I’ve seen him throughout his career.”
Clarke likened the amount of grass on the Edgbaston wicket to “a Shield game at the Gabba”.
Clarke knows from events in the first Test at Cardiff that a green pitch 48 hours before match day could be shaved down to nothing by the toss tonight.
But England coach Trevor Bayliss Edgbaston and England would bite back rather than turn the other cheek to verbal warfare.
But Cook demanded his players stick to the game plan and not engage in Australia’s aggressive mind games. The Aussies believe Stokes is vulnerable to a brain snap, as evidenced by his embarrassing run-out at Lord’s. and captain Alastair Cook have requested a more seaming surface in a desperate hope of bringing pacemen Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad into the contest after their shellacking at Lord’s.
“That’s as much grass as I’ve seen on a pitch in England, so I wonder if the talk in the media and the commentators’ talk has made the groundsman a little bit nervous,” Clarke said.
“I think, if anything, if they leave grass on it then it will make it easier for the bowlers rather than harder.
“The way we were able to take 20 wickets at Lord’s and that was as flat as you’re going to get, I don’t think too much adjustment will be needed.”