England captain Ben Stokes has urged his players to put team priorities ahead of individual interests as they prepare for the fifth and final Ashes Test in Sydney. With England already losing the series after three defeats in the opening eleven days, the visitors can at best narrow the gap to a 3-2 loss. Stokes said we need to focus on what benefits a team like England can see to end the tour at the Sydney Cricket Ground on a positive note.
Ahead of the Test, Stokes stressed that personal concerns should not creep in during the final week of the Ashes campaign. “There should be no reason for anyone to be individually or in isolation about what they want to do this week,” Stokes said. “Once someone starts thinking about their own performance, it’s pretty easy to see.
He said the environment he was trying to create was a team-first approach. “One thing I’ve managed to get into this group is that everything you do, think and say is always about what’s best for the team and not for you,” Stokes said. “Whoever goes out there this week, everything they do and every decision they make will be about what the team needs.”
England are yet to confirm their playing XI and will determine the side in the draw. A squad of 12 has been announcedand seamer Matthew Potts was also included after Gus Atkinson was injured. The selection debate centers on whether England will opt for specialist spinner Shoaib Bashir or all-rounder Will Jacks, with the conditions at the SCG expected to play a key role. Bashir started the tour as England’s preferred spinner but has yet to feature here.
The Sydney pitch has been under scrutiny after an unusually green surface in Melbourne contributed to England’s quick victory in the fourth Test. By Saturday, the SCG wicket had lost much of its green tinge, while a forecast of rain for the opening day added uncertainty to selection plans. Stokes acknowledged the difficulty of judging the conditions.
“It’s pretty tough. I don’t think the ground player has been under as much pressure this week as we have been here. We try to act like we know what we’re doing when we look down the pitch and scrub it and tap it. Nobody really has a clue. You can only try and give yourself the best chance of getting the XI we need to have a chance of winning the game we’re playing.”
Despite the Ashes having already been decided, Stokes said England remained motivated to secure victory.
“Even though we can’t get the thing we came here for, we still have a chance to win cricket for England,” he said.
The Sydney Test will also be Australian opener Usman Khawaja’s last international appearance. Australia’s stand-in captain Steve Smith has addressed speculation about his own future. “Obviously I’m older and wiser. Maybe one day I’ll wake up and be like ‘enough is enough.’ Who knows? I’m not going anywhere right now.”
Stokes, meanwhile, played down suggestions that the match should be seen as a platform for England’s next Ashes campaign. “That’s so far from where we are right now,” the 34-year-old said. “We’ve got a big test to play here and a big gap to our next series. It’s all time to think. Right now is not the time.”
– The end
Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
January 3, 2026
