Perth: England are prepared for a sledging war in the Ashes series with suspended Ben Stokes the expected focus of Australia's barbs, captain Joe Root said on the team's arrival here on Sunday.

Stokes, the vice-captain and star all-rounder, is not among the touring party. He remains under investigation after being arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm following an incident outside a Bristol nightclub in September.

The ECB has not yet ruled Stokes, who has a broken finger, out of the series which starts with the first Test in Brisbane on November 23. Root, however, said his team were ready to deal with any heat that comes their way.

"Potentially they might sledge us about Stokes," Root told reporters. "But it's Ashes cricket, so there's always an edge of psychological banter. We're prepared for it.

"Once you've played in a few, you sort of know what to expect and you know how it goes leading up to the games. I'm sure there will be plenty of banter flying around on and off the field. That's something you've got to cherish and relish, and be able to look back on at the end of your career and say, 'I gave it my best shot, and I enjoyed it'."

Speaking further about Stokes, Root added: "We don't really know what's going on with that. We have to sort of let the police get on with that.

"Hopefully, it can be good news for Ben. As a friend I hope it is, but in terms of the reality of it all, we've got to wait and see.

"We've got to plan as if he's not going to be here and give ourselves the best chance."

Root said that while the issue had not been "ideal", the players just wanted to get on with the job.

"It's obviously been disappointing. It's been hard for the guys," he said.

"We've just got to plan ahead now and make sure we're in the best possible position when it comes to that first Test match."

According to Root, critics only provided a greater motivation for the side to prove their detractors wrong, and firmly rejected the 'underdogs' tag.

"We've got three of England's best all-time players with Cooky (Alastair Cook), Jimmy (Anderson) and Broady (Stuart Broad). And then we've got some guys who have really stood up over the last couple of years, and I think we are a completely different side to the one that was here last time," he said. <"><"> Reuters