block out

Only a silent, shadowy maze of tall trees, blocking out the dim light of dawn.

Former England assistant Paul Farbrace dismissed the idea Stokes was being "disrespectful" and said his words were a message to his squad to block out the outside noise.

On Wednesday, Kyiv denied its forces in and around the town had been encircled and maintained they were still involved in "active resistance" and blocking out Russian troops.

They simply block out anything they don’t like.

"Knowing that you're going to get criticised for your performances, athletes have to do a better job of blocking out the noise," said the 36-year-old.