England captain Ben Stokes doesn’t want the usual seaming wickets for this year’s Ashes

Cricket fans can get ready for an Ashes series unlike any other after Ben Stokes made a “very clear” demand about the series in England.

England captain Ben Stokes has made a demand for “flat, fast” wickets for this year’s Ashes showdown with Australia to aid his team’s “Bazball” game plan which has turned Test cricket on its head.

Stokes has told groundsmen around England exactly what he wants to give his team the best chance of reclaiming the urn after drawing the last Ashes in the UK 2-2 then losing in Australia 4-0.

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England has gone a Test-winning tear under new coach Brendon McCullum recording victories in 10 of the past 12 matches with an electric scoring rate of 4.76 runs per over, the highest of the 11 nations to have played Test cricket.

Curators at the five venues hosting Tests have been told to produce pitches conducive to England‘s style of play, although it may also play into Australia’s hands given not only do they possess a quicker bowling attack but the Aussies are used to pacy wickets.

Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum . (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

The move could also provide an opportunity for veteran opener David Warner to push beyond the Test Championship final, having not been guaranteed his place in the Ashes by selection boss George Bailey.

Warner made just 95 runs in the 2015 Ashes and was continually undone by England’s swing and seam attack.

But Stokes was clear the wickets were the best way for his team to win.

“We’ve been very clear, especially with the ground staff around England, about what type of wickets we want,” Stokes told Sky Sports

”And they’ve been very responsive to us which has been good.

“We want fast, flat wickets. We want to go out there and score quickly. It brings their [Australia‘s] guys in: if they’ve got fast wickets to bowl on then they’ll be happy with that as well.”

Tests will be played at Edgbaston, Lord‘s, Old Trafford, Headingley and The Oval and Stokes has made it clear there will be no departure from their attacking game style.

“There‘s no point changing just because we’re coming into an Ashes series,” he said.

“Every player knows the Ashes is where everything ramps up a bit - pressure, exposure, all kinds of stuff - but we’ll just keep sticking to what we do.”

Stokes said he would not settle for a drawn series, or draws in any games, if he and his team had their way.

“Hold me to it. Every game I play this summer will be to produce a result,” he said.

“I‘m not going to change anything just because it’s the Ashes. I’m not going to change for anything or any situation, because then I’m not being true to myself and what I’ve done over the last year.”

Ben Stokes playing Bazball in Pakistan (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

Stokes has battled his own injuries issues with his left knee but said he was “pain-free” during his last Indian Premier League outing and would be ready for the Ashes.

“I‘ve worked so hard over the last month, five weeks, to get where I am now,” he said.

“Being able to bowl pain-free - touch wood - has been good. Even (though that over), I went for 18 runs, but I was like ’oh I managed to bowl an over without pain in my knee’.

“The main priority for me is making sure that I can fulfil my role as fourth seamer in the Ashes.

“I‘ve had some good conversations with the people who are employed to look after us, body-wise. I said I’ll be doing everything I can whilst I’m in India to make sure that when we get to the Ashes, I’ll give myself the best opportunity to do my role.”