Alright, so look, it’s me, Ben. And I just need to say something real, from where I’m standing right now. My team, we’re right at the edge, and what I’m thinking about mostly is the guys in that room. People seeing us, it’s like we’re just cricketers who’ve lost a few games. But getting everyone into a good place inside their heads, that’s what feels most important to me today.
You know, I’ve been through some stuff myself where everyone’s watching and talking. It gets on top of you, that feeling. When you’re winning, everything’s fine and easy for people to say. When you’re not, suddenly nothing is right. And social media and everything else just piles on. A little bit of understanding, of empathy, wouldn’t be so hard for folks to consider. That’s what I believe.
About that time we had off, in Noosa, there’s a review happening so I won’t talk details. But the video with Ben Duckett, it’s out there. He’s still with us, he’s a big part of this group. He’s got my support, completely. Everyone around him too. Sometimes you just need to remember we’re people trying to do a job for our country, even when it’s not going well.
We’ve had to make changes, of course. Jofra’s going home which is awful for him, and Ollie Pope is out. Jacob Bethell and Gus Atkinson are coming in. Fresh energy, you know? We need that.
This is honestly the toughest bit I’ve had as captain, I won’t lie. I’ve had good times and really low times. But running away isn’t something I’m going to do. You stand there and you take it. But asking people to just think about what this pressure does to a person, that’s all I’m doing right now. That night out or a drink, it’s not why we’re 3-0 down. We just haven’t been good enough, simple as that. Preparation and decisions, they weren’t right.
Now with Jofra injured too, it’s another thing. He’s got to try and get ready for the World Cup early next year. And for us, there’s still a Test to play in Melbourne. We have to find a way to play for each other, to block out the noise. Because it’s really loud right now.
You ever just move from hotel to hotel for weeks? Everything starts feeling the same, and the pressure just sits in the air like humidity. It weights on you, even when you’re trying to laugh it off in the dressing room. People at home might see the travel as glamorous, but your body just feels confused and heavy, unsure of what time it even is.
I think about past teams a lot, the legends. Wondering what they’d say to us now in this moment. You carry that history on your back every time you wear the badge, it’s an honor but my god it’s a weight too. Right now, it feels heavier than ever before, like we’re letting more than just ourselves down.
And with the new lads coming in, like Jacob, there’s this mix. You want to protect them from all this noise, but also you need them to bring their fearless energy. It’s a strange balance, trying to be a shield for them while also hoping they’re the spark we’ve been missing. I told them just to play, to remember why they got picked in the first place.
The physical side, people forget. The niggles, the tightness every morning that wasn’t there before. You’re managing it, always managing, rather than feeling truly free. Jofra going home is the worst example, it’s a hole in the side. But everyone else is patching something up, strapping something tight, just to get through a day’s play.
We had a meeting, just us. No coaches. And it wasn’t about technique. It was about remembering a good moment, however small, from back home. A laugh with a mate, a quiet morning with family. Sounds silly maybe, but you need to touch base with something real, something that isn’t this bubble of scores and criticism.
So what’s left? You look around at the faces. The tired eyes, the determined jaws. There’s still a fight in there, I see it. Maybe it’s not for the series now, but for each other, for a bit of pride to take home. You cling to that. You walk out at the MCG, that huge crowd, and for a few hours you just try to be cricketers again, not headlines. That’s the goal, simple as that.
