Simon Doull

There's a lot of stuff I couldn't say that goes on in the back of the con box, I tell you that much.

I think the general feeling in and around the guys is Ben Stokes, the captain, has been exceptional for the most part.

I don't think he had his best ashes, and he was probably...

You know, one of the first to admit that he didn't have his best Ashes series down in Australia.

And that's generally what you are judged on.

But since the time him and Brendan came together, it's all started against New Zealand.

They whitewashed New Zealand 3-0.

They started to play.

They kind of unlocked English cricket.

English cricket was boring.

It was...

It was hard to watch.

There was guys coming in, getting dropped, you know, coming, going all the time.

They didn't really have an identity.

And I think Brendan and Ben kind of gave them a bit of an identity at that time.

They then needed some coaching.

Post that.

And I think that's probably where it's just fallen apart a little bit.

But, you know, the journos and the media scramble around, you don't have it anywhere near as bad in Australia.

I mean, there's one Kiwi journalist, one bloke on this tour.