Former Australian international Ryan Campbell has turned on his home state of WA after Ben Stokes and England came under fire from the local newspaper.

The tourists and their captain have been branded ‘cocky’ by the West Australian, which also took aim at ‘dopey’ Bazball, ‘average Joe’ Root and the tourists’ golf outings in the lead-up to the first Test beginning Friday.

The strategy disappointed Campbell, who knows Stokes well as coach of his county Durham, as he warned it could all backfire horribly.

“I got a bit shirty about it. I want WA to put on a good show. I don’t want that stuff,” Campbell said, via the BBC .

“Everyone wants to say something smart. A lot of it you have to take with a pinch of salt.

“There is two blokes I wouldn’t have a crack at — that is Ben Stokes and Joe

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