England's Test captain, Ben Stokes, has responded to the media's reaction to his comments during the Ashes 2023, asserting that he lives "rent-free" in their minds. Stokes' remarks, intended to motivate his team during a rain-interrupted fourth Test against Australia, have sparked a flurry of reactions, particularly from Australian media outlet Fox Cricket.

In the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) documentary series titled "Ashes 2023 | Our Take," Stokes is seen giving a rousing speech to his players at Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester. At the time, England was in a dominant position, but persistent rain threatened to derail their advantage. Stokes' comments were meant to lift the team's morale amid the frustrating delays.

“Everything we’ve done up until now isn’t going to stop because we haven’t managed to win the urn back,” Stokes adds.

“The reward for our work isn’t what we get but what we become. And what we have managed to do is we’ve managed to become a sports team that will live forever in the memory of people who were lucky enough to witness us play cricket,” he added.

Fox Cricket, however, did not take kindly to Stokes' motivational efforts. The Australian media outlet shared the story on X (formerly Twitter) with a sarcastic caption, poking fun at Stokes' speech.

“…right, yeah, sure,” Fox Cricket wrote in the post

Stokes was quick to respond to Fox Cricket's jibe. He reminded everyone that Australia was indeed in a precarious position during the fourth Test and was only saved by the rain.

“Said this to the team who had watched it rain for 2 days when we had our foot on your throats, just tried to cheer up the disappointment tbh,but anyways rent free and all that,” Stokes wrote in reply.