Ashes 2025-26: Australia will get under Stokes’ skin but he can answer with his performances, says Andrew Strauss

Former England captain Andrew Strauss warned Ben Stokes to be wary of Australia’s attempts to get under his skin in the upcoming Ashes, scheduled to commence on Friday at Perth’s Optus Stadium. Stokes will aim to lead England to their first Ashes triumph in Australia since 2010-11.

England will try to defy their 13-0 record Down Under since their last series win. The visitors have been under scrutiny for their lack of preparation, which consisted of a single three-day warm-up game against the Lions at the Lilac Hill surface in Perth. Stokes shrugged off criticism from former England cricketers regarding their limited groundwork before facing their oldest rivals, labelling the complaints as coming from has-beens.

"I think he's phenomenal, Stokesy. I love his approach; I love how clear he is in his thinking, and I love the fact that he really doesn't care what any of us think about what they're doing," Strauss said on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast.

"He's pushed English Test cricket forward quite a substantial way, alongside [head coach Brendon] McCullum. But he has got vulnerabilities, Stokes. We know he's an emotional guy. And I think the Australians, as a nation, they're going to really try and get under his skin over the course of these five Test matches," he added.

Strauss believes Stokes will struggle to absorb what Australia throws at him, warning that the series could become mentally draining for the England captain. According to Strauss, if England are beaten in the first two Tests and fall behind early, turning the tide back in their favour will become a far more difficult task for Stokes.

"As a captain, you need to be able to suck that up and almost show that you're unaffected. I think Stokes is going to find that difficult to do, but what he can do, and what he's done very well in the past, is answer with his performances on the pitch - those incredible, inspired performances, some of England's greatest performances of all time, with bat and ball," Strauss said.

"He has the ability to do that, but it's going to be very draining for him, mentally. If England lose a Test match or two early, that's going to be a real challenge for him," he added.