England captain Ben Stokes has firmly rejected former Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson's accusation that the England cricket team is "arrogant" as they prepare for the crucial second Ashes Test in Brisbane.
The response comes after England suffered a humbling two-day defeat in the first Test at Perth, leaving them needing a significant turnaround in the day-night match with the pink ball at The Gabba next week.
Preparation Under Scrutiny
England's preparation methods have faced intense scrutiny following their disappointing performance in Perth. Their decision not to send key bowlers and batters to a pink-ball warm-up match in Canberra has been particularly questioned.
Instead, the team has chosen to spend five days training in the nets ahead of the vital showdown. This approach drew strong criticism from Johnson, who branded the team "arrogant" in a column for the West Australian newspaper.
The publication had previously labelled Stokes a "cocky captain complainer" upon his arrival at the airport, setting a tense tone for the series.
Stokes Defends Team Character
Speaking before England's first training session in Brisbane, Stokes addressed the criticism directly. "I think arrogant might be a little bit too far, but that's OK. We'll take the rough with the smooth," the captain stated.
He added: "Call us whatever you want. I'd rather words like 'rubbish', but 'arrogant', I'm not so sure about that. We didn't have the Test match that we wanted to but we were great in passages of that game."
The first Test saw England collapse from a strong position at lunch on day two to a comprehensive defeat within just a few hours, leaving travelling fans and those watching from the UK united in frustration.
Pink-Ball Challenge Ahead
Former England fast bowler Stuart Broad has described the upcoming second Test as "a bit of a lottery" due to the pink ball conditions. Broad, who has played in all of England's pink-ball Tests, emphasised the importance of timing and the toss.
"It is all about timing a little bit of when you bowl with the brand new ball. Winning the toss and batting is pretty crucial in the pink-ball Test in my opinion," Broad said on the For The Love of Cricket podcast.
The statistics highlight England's challenge: Australia have won 13 of their 14 day-night tests, with their only loss coming at The Gabba last year against West Indies. By contrast, England have won only two of their seven pink-ball matches and lost all three played in Australia.
Stokes acknowledged the disappointment of fans but remained focused on the larger goal. "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," he said.
The England captain emphasised the team's determination: "We're absolutely desperate to come home with that goal from before we even started the series, which is to win the Ashes."
