BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Being in Australia, 1-0 down already in the Ashes series, meant learning of the sudden death of England great Robin Smith “hits harder” for Ben Stokes and his squad.

England's test and second-string squads were in Perth last week, where Australia won the first test by 8 wickets in two days and an Australian XI also won a game against the Lions.

Smith, who played 62 test matches for England, died in Perth, Western Australia, on Monday. He was 62. The news emerged days after Smith met and spoke with the Lions squad.

“Just last week he was there chatting with the Lions who were out here,” Stokes said Wednesday on the eve of the second test in Brisbane. "He was at the game last week and talking to people and sharing, going into quite a lot of detail about his

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