'Call us rubbish, not sure of arrogant' - Ben Stokes ahead of second pink-ball Ashes Test in Gabba
Ben Stokes defended England after heavy criticism followed their two-day Ashes defeat in Perth. He rejected claims the team was “arrogant” and urged focus ahead of the pink-ball Test at The Gabba, where England must overcome a 39-year drought to level the series.
England’s Ashes campaign has opened under intense scrutiny after a heavy defeat in Perth triggered a wave of criticism from former players and commentators. The match, decided inside two days and recorded as the third-shortest Ashes Test, saw Australia dominate through Mitchell Starc’s seven-wicket showing and a blistering century from Travis Head that left England far behind.
In the aftermath, prominent voices, including Ian Botham and Mitchell Johnson, targeted England’s approach. Johnson, who had already labelled the visitors “arrogant” in a column, intensified his criticism following the result. Botham questioned whether the team had the desire or adaptability required for an Ashes tour, suggesting England might as well head home if they were unwilling to adjust.
Captain Ben Stokes, in the meantime, addressed the backlash directly, distinguishing between fair judgment and what he considered an unfair characterisation of his team.
“Look, you can call us rubbish, call us whatever you want. We didn't have the Test match that we wanted to. We were great in passages of that game but I think arrogant might be a little bit too far. But that's okay. We'll take the rough with the smooth. I'd rather words like 'rubbish', but 'arrogant', I'm not so sure about that,” Stokes said on Saturday, ahead of the second Ashes Test.
England desperate to script comeback in remaining matches
With the discussion swirling around England’s style and resilience, attention now shifts to the pink-ball Test at The Gabba. The visitors must overturn a long history of struggles in Australia, where they have managed just two draws and no victories across their last 16 Tests since the 2010–11 triumph under Andrew Strauss. At Brisbane’s fortress-like venue, England’s record is even more daunting, which is just three wins in 22 matches, the most recent one dating back to 1986.
Despite those numbers, Stokes insisted the squad remains committed to mounting a response in the second Test and restoring belief among supporters.
“We know that there'll be a lot of disappointed fans in England after that first defeat. But it's a five-game series, we've got four games to go, we've lost the first one - we're absolutely desperate to come home with that goal from before we even started the series, which is to win the Ashes,” Stokes said.
With the series poised at 1-0, England enter Brisbane needing to break a 39-year drought at The Gabba to keep their hopes alive.