Alastair Cook claims the world has changed for England team after Ben Stokes incident

12/13/2017

Alastair Cook has stated that the perception towards the England team has been changed after the Ben Stokes incident and also warned his side that they cannot afford any more mistakes. However, the English opener has claimed that he is feeling proud as he gets the chance to play his 150th Test.

Ben Stokes was arrested in September on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm outside of a Bristol pub and after that, England have also suffered two other off-field incidents on this tour of Australia. Jonny Bairstow greeted Australian opener Cameron Bancroft with a friendly 'headbutt' in a Perth bar during the early stages of the tour and then last week, in the same bar, Ben Duckett poured a drink over James Anderson's head. While the last two has added fuel for the discussion, Cook stated that the unfortunate incidents changed the behavior of the world towards the English team and the side should take the Stokes scandal as a wake-up call.

"It has been a very strange thing. The world has obviously changed for the English cricket team from September. We have taken a couple of months to really realise that. These last two incidents have proved that. I’ve seen words written down, 'trivial mis-demeanour at best', but since the Stokes incident times have changed for the English cricket team," he told reporters in Perth late on Tuesday as quoted by AFP.

"It's sad in some ways because we have always been a bit different to football and been able to go under the radar a bit and enjoy playing cricket for England and enjoy seeing the country outside that. It's now down to us to adjust to it quickly and we can’t afford any more mistakes," the 32-year-old said.

Cook was supported by James Anderson who also opined that the team have to behave much smarter and they have to stay away from any kind of scandal.

"The frustrating thing is that what was a pretty silly incident would have gone unnoticed before but now puts an unfair question mark over our (team's) culture," Anderson wrote in a column for Britain's Telegraph newspaper.

"We are all aware that from now on even a minor incident will be seized upon. I know Australia will use the Duckett incident as a way of goading us or taking the mickey. Fine. The players have moved on already. Our main focus is getting back in the series. That is all everyone is talking about."

After losing the first two games of the series, the visitors wanted to take hold in the third match which will start from tomorrow even they have to take help of sledging.

"In the first innings (in Adelaide) I sensed he was more bothered about what Stuart (Broad) and I were saying to him, which was not very interesting," Anderson said of Smith. As a bowler, once you get him out a couple of times you realise he is not superhuman," he added. "You realise 'I can bowl to this guy' and that makes a big difference."

Cook is on the verge of playing his 150th Test of his career. Till now, he has scored 11,691 runs at an average of 45.84. The left-hand batsman admitted that it will be a proud moment for him and he wanted to make the crucial third Ashes clash in Perth memorable by supporting his struggling team.

"Not many people play 150 Test matches - so to do that, and at the top of the order, I'm quite proud," he said.

"My job... is to try to get England off to a good start and on this tour, I have struggled. We've got the biggest game of our lives coming up and we've got to scrap unbelievably hard for the five days. I try my hardest all the time and I prepare as well as I can."

Alastair Cook claims the world has changed for England team after Ben Stokes incident

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