Australia speedster Mitchell Starc has urged the Australian crowd to come hard at the English all-rounder Ben Stokes and attack him with verbal volleys if he does manage to make it to the English squad for the Ashes slated for later in November.
Stokes can only make the England squad if the police clear him. He was apparently involved in a fight outside a Bristol nightclub, and a video had surfaced where Stokes was seen punching a man to the ground. Whether it was Stokes hasn’t been proved, and he can play the Ashes only if he gets cleared of the allegations.
We can expect the sort of ovation Stokes will receive if he does manage to tour Australia. The crowd from Down Under are known to get under the skin of the opposition players, and in the Ashes, it is more than ever.
“You can only imagine,” Starc said on Monday when asked about the reception Stokes could expect. “I guess I’d love if he were out here. I’d love for the Australian crowd to get stuck into him the way the Poms get stuck into our blokes over there.”
But Starc agreed to the fact whether or not Stokes tours Australia or not, the atmosphere on all the ground will be electric.
“Regardless of whether he’s here or not, I think the atmosphere is going to be great at all the grounds. I’m really looking forward to that atmosphere, and if Ben is playing, I’m sure it’s going to be hyped up and really loud. But I’m sure Ben knows how to cope with that sort of stuff if he does play,” Starc said.
Starc conceded the fact that taking the crowd pressure depends on the mentality of the players. While it works for some players, it distracts others who may not cope with the shrill voice of the crowd.
“Why not? Go for it. The Aussie boys will be backing you all the way in,” Starc said at the launch of a three-year partnership between Cricket Australia and Mastercard Australia in Sydney.
“On certain people, I think it can [affect their performance]. On different characters, people take it differently. For certain guys, if they’re copping it in the crowd they enjoy the banter, they give it back and really enjoy that atmosphere and that banter both ways with the crowd.
“Other guys will go into their shell, and it might affect their cricket. I know what’s happened to people … I’ve copped a lot over in England as well, and I’m sure the Aussie crowd will be giving it back to the Poms as they did to Broady and KP the last time they were here.”