Cricket 2025: England cricket greats turn on their own over Ashes preparation

England’s Ashes preparations have come under fire with two of the country’s greatest cricketers turning on Ben Stokes’ men.

The first Test will get underway on November 21 from Perth Stadium, but prior to the first ball England will only play a single three-day warm-up against the England Lions, essentially England A.

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England has failed to win a series on Australian soil since 2010/11. Former skipper Sir Ian Botham has now shared his scathing opinion about the Tourists’ lack of proper warm up.

“It’s not the way I would prepare,” Botham said on Tuesday.

“I think historically, you have to acclimatise when you come down here and you have to remember there’s 24.5 million people you’re playing against, not 11.”

His words of warning come after he raised concerns last month when speaking about the upcoming Ashes series.

“I’m worried. We’re going to wander in and have a little game with the ‘A’ team,” Botham told the Old Boys, New Balls Podcast.

“Not one (state match), which borders on arrogance. You’ve got to give yourself the chance. They are saying we play too much cricket. I don’t think you play enough.

“The conditions are different when you play cricket in Australia: the sun, the heat, the bounce, the crowd, the Aussie players, you’ve got to get used to all that. You’re not playing against the Australian cricket team, you’re playing against Australia – 24.5 million people.”

Botham’s comments echo a similar sentiment shared by former England opener Geoffrey Boycott who labelled the lack of preparation as “madness”.

“England’s preparation has been madness,” Boycott wrote in a column for the UK Telegraph.

“If they win in Australia it will be in spite of their lack of match practice, not because of it. Match practice would give them a better chance.

“I played in two Ashes-winning teams in Australia and I believe you need to be put under pressure so you can fine-tune your skills.

“Fierce, competitive matches are the best preparation for the tough Test cricket to come. This modern-day preparation borders on foolish to players of my generation.”

Despite the comments, both Botham and Boycott believe England can still get the job done with Boycott branding the Australian squad as “not special”.

“This is England’s best chance of winning in Australia for years,” Boycott wrote. “Marnus Labuschagne is back, but has had an awful year in Test cricket. Opener Usman Khawaja is 38 and they are unsure about his opening partner.

“Cummins will be missed as a bowler and a leader.

“In the batting, Australia depend a great deal on Steve Smith and Travis Head. The rest are not special.”

The Ashes begin in Perth on November 21, kickstarting a five-match series that finishes in Sydney in January.

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