One of the main factors behind that 4-0 defeat Down Under was the absence of all-rounder Ben Stokes, missing for the whole series having been charged with affray following a disturbance outside a Bristol nightclub only a few months earlier.
Stokes was eventually cleared of affray and has since made a successful return to the England set up, his desire to make up for lost time plain for all to see in an all-action performance in their opening World Cup victory over South Africa.
Nevertheless, Stokes insists he doesn't have anything to prove to anyone but himself and that the only thing driving him forward is his desire to see England enjoy success this summer.
In an interview with Red Bulletin, Stokes said: “We’ve got the World Cup and the Ashes, and people have said to me, ‘Are you trying to prove yourself all over again?' but I don’t have to do that.
"I don’t have to prove myself to anyone, I only have to prove things to myself.
"I’m not looking to please anyone, or to go out there and do something individually great.
"As long as England win, I don’t really care about trying to prove a point to people.”
Still, Stokes does accept that his actions on that night have changed him as a person, if not completely, and that he has learnt some harsh lessons from Bristol.
He went on: “I’m not going to suddenly be an angel, because that’s not me. It’s just about trying to make better decisions, but I don’t think of this in terms of it being a second opportunity.
“What I have learnt is that the people I need, who are important to what I do and who I want to be there, are around me. Before [you’ve learnt that], you try to please everyone, but you just can’t do it.
"There are other lessons, obviously, but that’s the main thing. It has made me understand who the right people are, and who I need in my life.”
“It’s always going to be there, it’s always going to be with me, and people are always going to ask me about it. I’m fine with that; I’ve dealt with it.”
Before Stokes was forced to miss that aforementioned Ashes series, he was Joe Root's vice-captain in the Test team and although he no longer holds that position, the Durham star hasn't ruled out the possibility of captaining England one day.
He added: “If you get the opportunity and they ask you to do it, you’re not going to say no, but at the moment that’s not in my mind.”
- Read the full interview with Ben Stokes in the latest copy of the Red Bulletin – out today (11 June)
