Ben Stokes has called on his England teammates to put collective success ahead of personal interests as they prepare for the fifth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The tourists have already surrendered the urn after losing the opening three matches in just 11 days of cricket, leaving a 3-2 defeat as their best possible outcome.
Ahead of the final encounter, the captain said: "Although we can't get the thing we came here for, we've still got the chance to go out there and win a game of cricket for England."
Stokes made clear that players should avoid becoming protective of their places in the side, particularly given that Ashes defeats typically prompt squad changes.
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He said: "There shouldn't be any reason for anyone to get individual or insular about what they want to do this week."
The skipper warned that self-interested thinking would be transparent to observers.
Stokes added: "As soon as someone starts thinking about their own performances it becomes quite easy to see through."
He emphasised that the culture he has fostered within the group demands that every thought, word and action serves the team's interests rather than individual ambitions.
Ben Stokes has called on his England teammates to put collective success ahead of personal interests as they prepare for the fifth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground
|PA
England have declined to confirm their starting eleven before the match, opting instead to announce their team at the toss.
A 12-man squad was named on Friday, with seamer Matthew Potts appearing likely to earn his Ashes debut as a replacement for the injured Gus Atkinson.
The remaining selection dilemma centres on whether to pick spinner Shoaib Bashir or all-rounder Will Jacks, a decision largely dependent on how much assistance the pitch offers slow bowlers.
The SCG has traditionally favoured spin, though that reputation has diminished in recent years, with only nine wickets falling to spinners across the entire series.
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Stokes joked about the uncertainty surrounding pitch assessment
|PA
Stokes joked about the uncertainty surrounding pitch assessment, admitting that despite players' attempts to look knowledgeable when inspecting surfaces, "no-one really has a clue."
Stokes acknowledged that England's form has deteriorated significantly since the early days under head coach Brendon McCullum, when the team went unbeaten through their first seven series and claimed a 3-0 victory in Pakistan.
He said: "Results and the way in which we were playing so consistently in terms of getting on the right side of results, that's sort of gone downhill."
However, the captain insisted that detailed reflection must wait until after the Sydney match, with England not playing again until New Zealand visit in June.
Five things to know about The Ashes | PAStokes expressed determination to use the coming months to restore the side's consistency, though he dismissed any focus on the 2027 home Ashes as premature.
He threw his full support behind McCullum, insisting he sees no alternative to their partnership continuing and showed unwavering confidence in their leadership duo.
The all-rounder said: "There is no doubt in my mind that me and Brendon are the right people to carry on doing this for the near future."
When asked whether he and the New Zealander operate as an inseparable unit, Stokes was emphatic: "I can't see there being someone else who could take this team from where we are now to even bigger heights."
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