Stokes Defends England Criticism From 'has-beens'

Captain Ben Stokes says England will spell "balls to nan wall" successful their only Ashes warm-up crippled aft "has-beens" questioned their constricted mentation successful Australia.

England will play a three-day crippled against an England Lions squad starting connected Thursday astatine a parkland crushed successful Perth. The first Test astatine Optus Stadium originates connected 21 November.

The build-up to this circuit is akin to England's preparations for their 5 erstwhile overseas tours nether Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum. England person won nan first Test of nan bid connected each occasion.

However, it differs from galore of England's erstwhile Ashes tours, erstwhile they played respective warm-up games.

"The adjacent 3 days is balls to nan wall for everyone - nary easing into it," Stokes told BBC Sport.

"Everyone has been preparing for this bid for a agelong clip now so, travel nan 21st, we will beryllium good."

Speaking to nan media for nan first clip since suffering a enarthrosis wounded successful July, Stokes covered a scope of subjects, including:

England held a constricted training convention astatine Lilac Hill connected Wednesday. The batters and rotation bowlers were successful attendance, but nan gait bowlers sat retired aft an aggravated workout connected Tuesday.

The visitors person not confirmed nan teams for nan warm-up game. All 16 members of nan elder Ashes statement will beryllium involved, pinch nan 5 not successful nan England XI joining nan Lions.

There are number of reasons for England's short build-up to nan first Test, beyond penchant for a method that has served them good successful nan past.

In a packed schedule, England person conscionable vanished a white-ball bid successful New Zealand.

Even if they had arranged a drawstring of first-class matches successful Australia, their guidance astir apt would not person been strong, fixed nan ongoing home Sheffield Shield competition.

Criticism of nan build-up has travel from past players connected some sides of nan Ashes divide.

"Cricket has changed truthful much," said Stokes. "Preparation is obscurity adjacent arsenic elemental arsenic it utilized to be. You could travel retired connected a circuit 2 months earlier nan first crippled started.

"We've been preparing for this circuit not complete nan past 3 weeks, but putting a batch of thought and process into this for a fewer years now. I don't cognize what other we're expected to beryllium capable to do.

"There are rather a fewer factors that spell into why we can't hole really nan has-beens possibly prepared successful nan past. It's each changed. We're very comfortable pinch really we hole because we time off nary chromatic unturned."

Stokes, 34, has not played since being ruled retired of nan last Test against India successful nan summer.

He was superb successful that bid earlier sustaining nan injury, which came aft he put himself done a dense bowling workload. Injuries person prevented Stokes from completing immoderate of England's past 4 Test series.

However, he has been bowling astatine afloat gait successful training, which he said he has been doing for 2 months.

With Australia skipper Pat Cummins missing nan first Test because of a backmost injury, nan eventual destination of nan urn could beryllium influenced by which skipper spends astir clip connected nan field, and Stokes said he is successful a "good place" to get done nan series.

"That's each I've been doing for past 3 months; making judge I'm fresh and strong," he said.

"When nan Test bid starts, it's astir being sensible done nan remainder periods, astir really overmuch activity I do, because I've been building up to get present now."

On Tuesday, adjunct coach Marcus Trescothick backed Pope astatine number three, which Stokes echoed by saying nan Surrey man is "in possession".

Stokes besides explained nan determination to switch Pope arsenic vice-captain pinch England white-ball skipper Harry Brook.

"We person been very accordant pinch squad action and we cognize precisely what we want from nan squad we pick. Popey has done a awesome occupation for america astatine number three," said Stokes.

"He did an astonishing occupation arsenic vice-captain. He was incredibly valuable to me. We did a batch of activity together down nan scenes; he helped maine done peculiar periods successful games and our narration grew. He sewage amended and better, peculiarly erstwhile I was bowling.

"But it's a earthy progression successful position of Brooky's activity of England. He's been 1 of those elder guys I spell to, truthful it was nan correct clip for Brooky to travel successful and beryllium vice-captain."

After a thrilling and arguable Ashes successful 2023 was drawn 2-2, nan upcoming title is 1 of nan astir anticipated bid successful caller memory.

As portion of nan hype, nan West Australian newspaper carried pictures of Stokes arriving astatine Perth connected its beforehand page and described him arsenic "Captain Cocky Crybaby".

Stokes said nan sum will not impact his squad and he was "gutted" erstwhile nan newspaper switched attraction to team-mate Joe Root.

"It's unbelievable publicity to get that overmuch accusation connected nan beforehand page retired of a bloke pushing a suitcase done an airport, truthful adjacent play," said Stokes. "I was a spot gutted erstwhile they turned their attraction complete to Rooty, because I was waking up waiting to spot what nan adjacent header of maine was.

"It's expected. That's portion of being successful Australia. It's different 1 of those things that we'll person to woody with, particularly immoderate of nan guys that are retired present for nan first time.

"It's not conscionable worldly retired connected nan section that tin get you - it's besides immoderate of nan off-field stuff. It's besides really you return it. You tin return it successful your stride and laughter it off. I don't deliberation we'll fto that america impact excessively much. It's been enjoyable truthful far."