Dominance is the Key: England Seeks to End 15-Year Drought at the Top

The England cricket team is set to embark on a defining period of Test cricket, with a clear goal in mind: to become the first English side in 15 years to take the top spot in the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) rankings.

According to captain Ben Stokes, the team has the ability to achieve this feat, which would officially make them the best team in the world. Stokes expressed his confidence in the team’s capabilities, stating, “If we win what we’ve got coming up, the likelihood is that we will be at the top of that leaderboard.”

The ICC’s latest rankings update places England at number two, behind Australia. However, with a five-match series against India this summer and a series against Australia in the winter, England has a clear path to the top spot. The team last held the number one ranking in August 2011, but lost it against South Africa the following summer.

Stokes, along with coach Brendon McCullum and England and Wales Cricket Board’s managing director of men’s cricket, Rob Key, has been discussing the possibility of repeating this feat. Stokes said he sent a text to McCullum and Key saying, “We’ve got one more place to go,” after the rankings were released.

The team’s focus is on the upcoming game against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge, which starts on Thursday. Stokes emphasized that the team’s sole focus is on this game, but he also hinted that the team will be looking to make changes for the upcoming series against India. One of the batters in the current team will be making way for Jacob Bethell, who returns from the IPL and has been impressive in his debut series in New Zealand.

Stokes said, “If you talk about nailing down a position, Beth has done himself the world of good by the performances he put in there, with being part of our plans going forward.” He also stated that the team’s goal is to dominate every aspect of the game, whether it’s series, days, or sessions.

However, the team faces a setback with Jofra Archer’s injury, which has ruled him out of the upcoming ODI series against West Indies. The team’s plans can go awry, but Stokes remains optimistic about the team’s chances.