As the Ashes series looms, the Australian media have clearly turned up the mind games dial – and two of England’s most prominent figures, Joe Root and Ben Stokes, are squarely in the crosshairs.
In Perth, when the England players arrived ahead of the five-Test series against the Australian national cricket team, the tabloids greeted them with a rhetorical club rather than welcome mats. Stokes, the England captain, was once labeled a “puffy complainer” by a major publication under a front-page photo of him pushing luggage through an airport. The headline “Baz Bawl” (a play on his nickname “Baz” and “bawl”) led to the home cut: “England’s Cocky Captain Complainer, still smarter from the ‘crease-gate’, lands in Perth when he soon thinks the disgraceful ‘BazBall’ can take the Ashes.”
Now, a week later, the same tabloid has taken aim at Joe Root, one of England’s greatest batsmen of all formats, with a front-page headline of ‘Average Joe’. Screengrab from X Screengrab from X
The paper argues that despite Root’s mammoth career of over 13,500 Test runs, his record in Australia – still without a Test century and an average of about 35.68 in 14 matches – makes him more “fake than hero” on Australian soil. Much has already been said about Root’s lack of a hundred in Test cricket in Australia.
Also read: Michael Vaughan compares India vs Australia to the Ashes
The question in cricket circles is now: has the Australian media crossed the line between spirited alarmist banter and outright disrespect?
On the one hand, the Ashes rivalry has always been built on a psychological edge like bowling pace or batting flair. Traditional mind games, provocative headlines and subtle jabs are part of the legacy.
On the other hand, critics say that the tone and language of these particular headlines feels more personal and demeaning. Root, while yet to dominate Australia in style, is widely regarded in England as among the elite of Test cricket. Labeling him as “Average Joe” seems detached from his global status; Calling Stokes a “puffy complainer” plays to stereotype rather than criticism of his leadership in cricket. Screengrab by X
The effect is tangible. For the visitors, the headlines add another layer of distraction: will Root feel the pressure to land a rare Test ton in Australia? Will Stokes respond to the media-induced narrative of arrogance? For the hosts, the provocations can fuel Australia’s own competitive mindset – but they also risk giving England a motivational platform.
It is often said that the Australian media is the team’s 12th man. They spare no one and even visiting Indian teams have faced wrath in the past. Virat Kohli has often been the target of provocative tabloid headlines.
With the first Test at Perth’s Optus Stadium approaching on November 21, all eyes will be on how the players respond. Will Root mute subtitles with a big tap? Will Stokes let his cricket do the talking and not rant in the media?
The urn is contested on the field, but the first battle of the series may be off it.
– The end
Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
November 11, 2025
