Cricket icon Ian Botham has launched a scathing attack on England's preparation for the Ashes tour, branding their approach 'absolute nonsense' in the wake of a humiliating first Test defeat inside two days in Perth.
'Nets are for fishing,' insists Botham
The legendary all-rounder, a veteran of two triumphant Ashes tours down under, did not hold back in his criticism of the team's reliance on net sessions instead of competitive red-ball warm-up matches. "Nets are for fishing, they don't do anything for me," Botham scoffed in an interview with The Telegraph. He emphasised that true preparation happens in the middle, accusing the bowlers of being 'mollycoddled'.
Botham's frustration stems from England's decision to play three One-Day Internationals in New Zealand in late October and early November, which resulted in a disheartening 3-0 series loss, before arriving in Australia with only a single in-house, three-day warm-up against the England Lions at Lilac Hill.
A prophecy of defeat fulfilled
Botham's warnings, which began as early as mid-October, appear to have been prophetic. He had previously labelled the decision to forgo matches against Australian state sides as bordering on 'arrogance'. Just over a week before the first Test at Optus Stadium on 21 November, he reiterated the need to acclimatise properly, stating, "You've got to remember there's 24 million people down here, not 11."
His concerns materialised in a devastating eight-wicket loss for England, marking the first time an Ashes Test had concluded in just two days in 104 years. Botham directly linked this failure to the inadequate preparation, questioning the logic of the New Zealand ODI series. "England haven't won a match in Australia for 14 years, and that's why I would have given myself more of a chance by being here earlier," he stated.
Stokes hits back at 'has-beens'
The pre-Test criticism from Botham and other former players like Michael Vaughan and Geoffrey Boycott clearly irritated England's captain, Ben Stokes. He hit back, suggesting the modern cricket schedule makes old-fashioned, lengthy tours impossible. "There's so much cricket packed into the schedule, it's impossible to do it how it used to be done," Stokes argued, defending his team's multi-year planning process.
When asked about Stokes's retort, Botham claimed his only desire is to see England succeed. "Prove me wrong. If they do [win], I'll be absolutely delighted, because I love to see England do well," he responded.
Despite calls from pundits for key players to gain experience in a day-night practice match against a Prime Minister's XI ahead of the pink-ball second Test in Brisbane, England have opted against it. Instead, the main squad will focus on further net sessions at the Gabba, a move Michael Vaughan has labelled 'amateurish'.
