Captain Ben Stokes does great impressions and trendy Ollie Pope is not shy of a leopard print… as Stuart Broad gears up for his ninth Ashes, the paceman gives Mail Sport his quickfire guide to the England dressing room
- Stuart Broad is relaxed and looking forward to his latest battle with Australia
- Captain Ben Stokes is the best impressionist in the England dressing room
- Vice-captain Ollie Pope is the squad’s fashionista, and not shy of a leopard print
England paceman Stuart Broad is about to embark on his ninth Ashes series.
The 36-year-old is relaxed and looking forward to his latest battle with Australia.
Confidence is high within the group and the players feel like it is the most talked about Ashes series since 2005.
And Broad warmed up for the Ashes with a five-wicket haul in the emphatic victory over Ireland at Lord’s.
Here, he gives Mail Sport his quickfire guide to the England dressing room.
Vice-captain Ollie Pope is the England squad’s fashionista, and not shy of a leopard print
Zak Crawley
The best amateur golfer I’ve played with off the tee, but can be wobbly on the green.
Ben Duckett
Ben has an incredible ability to hit good balls for four, which can be frustrating when you’re bowling to him in the nets. He has fitted into international cricket seamlessly.
Ollie Pope
The England squad’s fashionista, and not shy of a leopard print, whether it be a shirt, trousers or shoes.
Joe Root
We’ve all played with a friend who is always taping, knocking in or changing grips on bats. If there was an award for tinkering, he would win it.
Harry Brook
He was buzzing after getting Kane Williamson out last winter — so much so that he’s started analysing his bowling action and talking about himself as an all-rounder!
Jonny Bairstow
He’s a huge fan of doing Sudoku puzzles. If you’re struggling to finish one, give it to him. He does them before going in to bat to help calm his nerves.
Ben Stokes
The best impressionist in the room and his piece de resistance is Arthur Shelby from TV show Peaky Blinders. I wonder if they’re looking for a stand-in.
Moeen Ali
A football addict who told me after our trip to see Liverpool in the FA Cup at the City Ground last year that Nottingham Forest are his second team.
Jimmy Anderson
Over the course of sharing the changing room with Jimmy for 134 Tests, I’ve learnt that he’s least grumpy when halfway through a crossword — while at the other end of the scale, don’t make him a bad coffee.
Ollie Robinson
Swings a gold club like Scottie Scheffler but without the same talent, very light-hearted off the field but reminds me of Aussie Glenn McGrath on it.
Captain Ben Stokes (above) is the best impressionist in the England dressing room
Mark Wood
If I’ve not seen him for a few months, it always takes me a bit of time to understand what he’s saying through that thick north-east accent. His Mastermind subject would be the TV show Friends.
Chris Woakes
‘The Wizard’ is one of those blokes who makes everything look good, to the extent that everything he does — whether it be golf, football, cricket or even his hair — looks natural.
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