“I’m definitely expecting there to be some feuds out on the pitch”

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

England all-rounder Ben Stokes has made it clear that he won’t shy away from any verbal confrontations during the upcoming Ashes series against Australia, which begins on July 8 in Cardiff.

While Australia have already revealed that they will try to get under Stokes’ skin, the 24-year-old insisted that he won’t back down and added that he is relishing the opportunity to give the Baggy Greens a taste of their own medicine.

“I’m definitely expecting there to be some feuds out on the pitch,” Stokes said. “I don’t go looking for it, but if someone comes at you on the pitch in the heat of the moment and the adrenaline is going then no one in this squad is one to shy away from it.

“We all have different ways of handling it. Some guys walk away from it and don’t get involved but I’ll look them in the eye and probably say something. I think it’s a strength of mine.

“Being in a battle, you don’t want to be the loser. I don’t want to take a backward step and let them know they are on top of me, or that they can say what they want and get away with it.”