Why Ben Stokes will carry a phoenix with him throughout England’s Ashes bid

Ben Stokes will carry with him two deeply personal symbols as the Ashes gets under way on Friday morning.

Stokes will lead the charge as his team bid for a first Ashes victory in Australia since 2010-11, after which a long run of Australian dominance on home soil began.

Stokes has collaborated with adidas and fine artist Jordan Dawson to create the bespoke shoes he will wear throughout his time in Australia, with a phoenix motif prominent in the design alongside a nod to Stokes’ late father Ged.

Stokes already has a tattoo of a phoenix, the mythological bird famed for its ability to rise from the ashes and begin anew, and Dawson has woven the same symbolism into his design.

It is clearly a tale that resonates acutely with Stokes, who was the subject of an Amazon Prime documentary titled ‘Ben Stokes: Phoenix from the Ashes’ in 2022.

Stokes said: “I’ve got a phoenix as a big part of the tattoo on my right arm, so it was something I was keen to include in the design.

“I’ve had a long career in sport and the phoenix has come to signify my belief that whenever you’re down, you can rise again.”

Another element to the design is an illustration of the hand gesture Stokes often does in times of celebration, which is a tribute to his late father Ged.

Ged Stokes played international rugby league for New Zealand and died in December 2020 from brain cancer, and was known for having an injured finger amputated during his career.

“I think everyone knows the story of my Dad injuring his finger playing rugby and having it removed but since he passed away, the hand gesture is a celebration I’ve done in memory of him.

“It’s been a rewarding process working with adidas and Jordan to bring it all together and hopefully it can give me some extra inspiration on the pitch too.”