Stokes Rejects Claims of England’s “Arrogance” After Heavy Defeat in Perth

England captain Ben Stokes has pushed back against suggestions that his team were “arrogant” during their shock two-day defeat to Australia in the first Ashes Test, saying such criticism oversteps the mark even as he accepts their performance was “rubbish”.

England were heavily criticised after collapsing from a dominant position—105 runs ahead with nine wickets in hand—to lose by eight wickets in Perth. Their dramatic second-day slide, losing 9 for 99, coupled with Australia’s composed chase led by Travis Head, sparked fierce scrutiny across both Australian and UK media.

With an 11-day gap before the second Test at the Gabba, commentary intensified. Criticism has focused not only on England’s on-field performance but also their preparation, which included a low-intensity warm-up match and a decision not to send most senior players to the Prime Ministers’ XI fixture in Canberra. Images of players golfing only amplified perceptions of a squad taking the tour too lightly.

Speaking at Allan Border Field ahead of England’s extended training block, Stokes said his team would accept much of the criticism—but not all of it.

“Look, you can call us rubbish, call us whatever you want,” Stokes said. “We didn’t have the Test match that we wanted… but I think ‘arrogant’ might be a little bit too far.

“We’ll take the rough with the smooth. I’d rather words like ‘rubbish’, but ‘arrogant’? I’m not so sure about that.”

Stokes also defended England’s decision to keep most first-choice players in Brisbane rather than send them to Canberra for the pink-ball fixture, a move that left Lions captain Tom Haines having to answer awkward questions about disrespecting the match—and by extension, Australia’s prime minister.

The England captain pointed to the differences in conditions between Canberra and Brisbane and the need to tailor preparation for next week’s day-night Test.

“There’s where it is, in Canberra, which is a different state from Brisbane. The conditions are going to be completely different,” he said. “We had to ask how we use these next few days wisely to be prepared for Brisbane.”

England trained for nearly three hours on Saturday before rain intervened, part of a stormy week in Queensland that may yet affect match preparation and even the Test itself. Australia enter the second Test as strong favourites, boasting 13 wins from 14 day-night matches and a devastating pink-ball record from Mitchell Starc, who took 10 wickets in Perth.

Despite the odds, Stokes urged his side—and supporters—to stay focused on the bigger picture.

“We did some amazing things in that Test match,” he insisted. “We’ve identified the moments where we could have been better. It’s about learning and staying true to how we want to play.”

Acknowledging the disappointment back home after the opening-match defeat, Stokes reminded fans the series is far from over.

“It’s a five-game series… we’re absolutely desperate to come home with that goal we had before the series even started—to win the Ashes.”