Former England captain Michael Vaughan has launched a scathing attack on the team's preparations for the second Ashes Test, drawing unusual comparisons to golf legend Tiger Woods and England football manager Thomas Tuchel. England head to Brisbane seeking redemption after an eight-wicket loss in Perth, with the second Test set to be a day-night encounter using a pink ball.
Vaughan criticised England's decision to rest players who featured in the first Test from a two-day warm-up match against a Prime Minister's XI, arguing that the team has not given themselves the best chance to succeed. Speaking on the Stick to Cricket podcast, Vaughan said: 'If Thomas Tuchel goes to the World Cup and a week out he's asked about preparation, and he says they're going to bring reserves over to play on a slow pitch for 45 minutes, what would happen? It's like if Tiger Woods goes to The Masters and says he prepared by playing crazy golf.'
England captain Ben Stokes has made one change to the side, with Will Jacks replacing the injured Mark Wood. However, Vaughan expressed concern that several players may arrive at The Gabba having never played a pink-ball game before, calling it 'not right'. Australia have lost only one pink-ball Test at the venue, with Mitchell Starc proving particularly effective with the pink ball.
England's preparations have come under fire from multiple pundits and ex-players, with the team having played just two days of Test cricket in the lead-up to the second Test. Vaughan added: 'I feel that if they don't play in that game, there'll be four or five players that will arrive at The Gabba to play a pink ball game for the first time in their career. That can't be right.'
