There are few bilateral sequence within the cricketing world that outline careers because the Ashes between Australia and England does, for good or dangerous. As England put together to tackle Australia Down Beneath for the newest chapter of one of many oldest cricketing rivalries, its captain Ben Stokes has requested his crew to not be “afraid”.Stokes urged England to strategy the competition with readability after selectors stored their choices open by naming off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in a 12-man squad for the primary Check.In September, England head coach Brendon McCullum had mentioned this Ashes was “the most important sequence of all our lives”. Stokes agreed, telling Sky Sports activities, “we’d be mendacity to ourselves” to say in any other case.“Undoubtedly [the biggest series of our lives]. Everybody on the planet, everybody in Australia and England, is aware of how huge that is,” Stokes mentioned, whereas speaking to Sky Sports activities..He mentioned he had underlined the size of the sequence and requested his gamers to face it instantly.“I believe if we had been to come back out and never settle for that, and say ‘it’s simply one other sequence’ we’d solely be mendacity to ourselves, mendacity to the very fact of what the sequence is. It’s wanting it within the eyes, taking it on and never being afraid of the problem,” Stokes mentioned.England haven’t received a sequence in Australia since 2010-11. Since then they’ve misplaced 13 Assessments and drawn two Down Beneath.The absence of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood from the primary Check attributable to accidents has been considered as a bonus for England, however Stokes dismissed that concept.“Australia are, and at all times shall be, one of many largest forces in Check cricket, cricket typically,” he mentioned.“Individuals could have swayed the consequence by hook or by crook with Pat and Josh lacking the primary Check however we don’t really feel that means in any respect,” the England captain informed Sky Sports activities.“They’re a fiercely aggressive nation on the subject of sport and we all know whoever comes into the crew are going to be powerful to go up in opposition to.“We shall be taking this recreation simply as severely as if Pat and Josh had been taking part in.”England named their 12-man squad for the primary Check, which begins on November 21 in Perth.