With the highly anticipated Ashes approaching, England’s preparation, or lack thereof, for the five-Test series has come under scrutiny as they are scheduled to play just one warm-up match.
England will play the Lions over three days starting on Thursday night, a marked contrast to the team’s build-up to their last win in Australia in 2010/11 when a much more disciplined approach was taken.
The decision drew mixed reactions with some believing this was all England needed after the whitewash of the ODI series against New Zealand.
But there are concerns that the warm-up match at Lilac Hill near Perth, against a team made up of potential back-ups and prospects, will not replicate the challenge of playing Australia at home.
Sir Ian Botham described the decision as “borderline arrogance”.
“That’s not the way I prepare. I think historically we have to adapt.” The former England captain told reporters in Melbourne earlier this week.
“We have to remember that there are 24 million people here, not 11. And we have to accept that.”
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England bowler Mark Wood said the hosts were the favorites of the series, discussing criticism and copycat conditions from the Australian media.
Speaking previously on the Old Boys, New Balls podcast, Botham added: “I’m worried. We’re going to play a little bit with the ‘A’ team.
“(Next) ‘So, how are you? How are you?’ Shall we go to the concert?
“There is nothing in the state game that comes close to arrogance. You have to give yourself a chance. They say we play too much cricket… I think you don’t play enough.
“When you play cricket in Australia, the conditions are different. You have to get used to everything: the sun, the heat, the bounce, the crowd, the Australian players.”
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England head coach Marcus Trescothick shares his thoughts on the team’s preparation ahead of the Ashes series against Australia.
But assistant coach Marcus Trescothick jumped in to defend the England team’s decision to play just one red-ball match before the Test series.
“This is how it works for us and other teams these days with so much cricket being played around the world,” he said.
“We don’t have time to prepare for the three or four first-grade games we had in the past.
“We usually play warm-up games with the facilities we have, most of the players have played for us in New Zealand in recent weeks and some have come from England, but that’s the way the modern game is these days.
“Getting that preparation right and bringing people together has worked well in the past. Keep it short, sharp, intense and work that way.”
How did Britain prepare its ashes before?
England’s last Ashes series win in Australia came in 2010/11, with the tourists winning the series 3-1.
England captain Andrew Strauss holding an ash urn with Paul Collingwood in Australia in 2011 (AP Photo/Rob Griffiths)
In the build-up, England took a completely different approach this year against Western Australia, South Australia and Australia A.
They took two wins, including a 10-wicket win over Australia A, and a rain-affected draw to the first Test in Brisbane. This was a game in which they bounced back from a draw before winning the second Test by an innings in Adelaide.
However, that historic series was followed by another series in Australia where England’s preparation was highly criticized.
Alastair Cook of England during the 2010 Ashes in Brisbane, Australia (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
In 2006, England played a warm-up match against the Prime Minister’s XI and the visitors lost by a shocking 166 runs.
They then lost 5-0 to the Ashes after winning the iconic series before 2005 for the first time in 18 years.
The most recent tour to Australia in 2021/22 during Covid-19 lockdown restrictions saw the warm-up match against the Lions in Brisbane abandoned due to rain with only half a day playable.
Joe Root’s side went on to lose the Ashes series 4-0.
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Former England captain Michael Atherton analyzes Australia’s Ashes squad and the areas England can exploit to win the series Down Under.
Andrew Strauss, the last England captain to win on Australian soil in 2011, admitted the warm-up game “looks like a high-risk strategy”.
“There have been too many tours that have gone pear-shaped from the first ball,” he told the Sky Sports Cricket podcast.
“If you go into the first Test undercooked and not used to the intensity that an Ashes series provides, it can unravel very quickly.
“I think Ben Stokes and Brendan McCollum will know that if things don’t go well on this tour, they will be their biggest criticism.
“But ultimately the proof of the pudding is what you eat. If they go out and play well in the first Test, all will be forgiven.”
Can the Lions actually replicate the Australian bowling attack?
Analysis from Sky Sports’ Adam Williams:
At first glance, it would be understandable to ask, ‘Who is that person?’ Let’s take a look at the 18-strong England Lions squad based in Australia until the end of the second Test in Brisbane.
Only four players have Test experience. spinners Rehan Ahmed and Tom Hartley, and seamers Matt Fisher and Josh Hull. There are a total of 12 Test caps, 10 of which belong to the two spinners.
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Steven Finn discusses England’s chances in the Ashes and who should finish third.
Hull has been something of a Bazball disciple, but his only Test appearance in 2024 came in a loss to Sri Lanka at The Oval, where he ended the game almost collapsing due to the sudden increase in workload.
A clone of Mitchell Starc, despite his 6-foot-7 height, he is none other than a left-armer. However, the Leicestershire seamer is keen to play his part in the build-up while also potentially boosting his chances of a Test recall.
“For England, they want their batsmen to be in good form and hitting hard,” he said.
“But once I get into the battle, my job as a bowler is to take wickets for the Lions.
“Obviously there are two aspects to it, but my main job is to get those guys out there. You want them to play well and feel good, but we’re going to be really competitive and do our part.”
Josh Hull’s only Test appearance to date came against Sri Lanka at The Oval in 2024.
Regarding the comparison to Starck, Hull added, “I haven’t had a specific conversation with (the coaches), but he’s the most similar to me in the sense that it’s like ‘like.'”
“He’s obviously a lot better than me and someone I idolize a ton of. If I could do something similar to him, it would help, but I’ll get out there and see.”
“I look at other left-armers and think, ‘What do I have to do to be the best?’ That’s why I look to Mitchell Starc. I have similar characteristics and if I can do what he does, I will be successful.”
The Lions squad, managed by Andrew Flintoff, also features Sonny Baker and Eddie Jack, two tall right-hand men clearly earmarked for international futures. But are they more than just a powder puff preparation to take on Josh Hazelwood and Scott Borland at Optus Stadium?
More importantly, if one or more of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood are ruled out of the series due to injury, are they actually likely to get a call-up?
Rehan Ahmed made his debut for Karachi in December 2022 at the age of 18 years and 126 days, making him the youngest player to ever play English Test cricket.
Ahmed will probably be unhappy not to have been selected for the first-team squad ahead of Will Jacks after he was expected to return with the bat last summer and is most likely to be called up if Shoaib Bashir is injured.
On the batting side, Jordan Cox, Ben McKinney (a left-handed opener like Australia’s new recruit Jake Weatherald) and Somerset pair James and Thomas, the Rew brothers, are likely to attack England’s pace battery and give Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes plenty to worry about ahead of the opening day of the first Test at the Optus Stadium.
Ashes series 2025-26 in Australia
Always UK and Ireland
- First test: Friday, November 21st ~ Tuesday, November 25th (2:30 AM) – Optus Stadium, Perth
- Second test (day/night): Thursday, December 4 – Monday, December 8 (4:30 am) – The Gabba, Brisbane
- Third test: Wednesday, December 17th ~ Sunday, December 21st (12am) – Adelaide Oval
- Fourth test: Thursday, December 25 – Monday, December 29 (11:30 PM) – Melbourne Cricket Ground
- Fifth test: Sunday, January 4 – Thursday, January 8 (11:30 PM) – Sydney Cricket Ground
