England captain Ben Stokes has responded to criticism following his team’s dramatic collapse in the Ashes opener in Perth. After being 105 runs ahead on Day 2, England lost nine wickets for just 99 runs, allowing Australia to claim victory. Former players and experts, including Mitchell Johnson, have criticized England’s approach, with Johnson describing it as “arrogant.”

Stokes, however, rejected the notion of arrogance, saying, “You can call us rubbish, call us whatever you want to. I think arrogant might be a little bit too far… We’ll take the rough with the smooth.” He emphasized that England is committed to winning and appreciates the support of their fanbase.

The team has also faced scrutiny for not sending first-team players to a pink-ball warm-up match against the Prime Ministers XI in Canberra ahead of the second Test at the Gabba. Stokes defended the decision, citing the different conditions in Canberra compared to Brisbane, saying, “You take all the factors into consideration… we then discuss that and decide what we think is the best preparation.”

England have already started training with the pink ball in Brisbane and will continue for the next four days in preparation for the second Ashes Test, scheduled from December 4.