Former England captain Michael Vaughan has hit out at Ben Stokes’ team’s preparations for the pink ball Ashes Test, insisting they have not given themselves the best chance of success.
In the wake of their eight-wicket defeat by Australia in the first Test in Perth, England faced scrutiny for not sending members of the squad to take on a Prime Minister’s XI team in a two-day, day-night match.
Vaughan, who captained to an Ashes series victory in 2005, had warned their preparations would be ‘amateurish’ if they did not play a pink ball warm-up match.
Speaking on Betfair and The Overlap’s Stick to Cricket last week, Vaughan compared England’s preparations unfavourably to how other national teams and golf legend Tiger Woods would prepare for major events.
Vaughan said: ‘The more I think about what England have done to prepare for this; if Thomas Tuchel goes to the World Cup next year, and say the first game is in Orlando.
‘A week out he gets asked about the quick pitch and he says, “Hi Thomas, how’s your team prepared?”
‘Then Thomas says “well, this week, we’re going to bring a load of our reserves over and we’re going to play a game of football but we’re going to play on a pitch that’s got really long grass and will be slow, and I tell you what, we’re going to play 45 minutes instead of 90.” What would happen?
‘It’s like if Tiger Woods goes to The Masters and says he’s prepared by going on the crazy golf and got a couple of shots through the windmill and I’m ready. It is similar.’
Vaughan had expressed concerns about the lack of experience several England players have had in pink ball matches.
The former England captain has now doubled down on his criticism ahead of the second Test beginning on Thursday.
Vaughan expressed his concerns for Stokes’ team, while highlighting the danger Mitchell Starc will pose when bowling with the pink ball.
‘I just don’t think England have given themselves the best chance,’ Vaughan said. ‘They’ve had two days of test match cricket and have three days off which they didn’t put in the budget.
‘The next test is a pink ball game where Australia have only ever lost one pink ball test match.
‘Mitchell Starc has just got 10 wickets here and is a wizard with the pink ball. Am I so old-school to suggest that by playing a game of pink ball cricket to prepare yourselves to play a pink ball game is professionalism.’
Stokes has defended his team’s preparations in the build-up to the Test, with the England captain also dismissing claims from the Australian media that they are ‘arrogant’.
Australians have won 13 of their 14 day/night Tests at all venues, England have managed two victories out of seven.
The hosts have also won 42 of their 67 Tests in Brisbane, compared to England’s four wins out of 22.
England confirmed on Tuesday that Will Jacks will come into the team in their only change from the first Test defeat.
