(Reuters) -Former England all-rounder Ian Botham has criticised the team’s Ashes preparations, saying their decision to play only one warm-up game “borders on arrogance” and could leave them undercooked for the test series in Australia.
Botham, who featured in England’s victorious Ashes tours of 1978-79 and 1986-87, said he was concerned that Brendon McCullum’s side were not giving themselves enough time to adapt to Australian conditions.
England will play one three-day warm-up match against the England Lions at Lilac Hill before the first test begins on November 21 in Perth.
“I’m worried. We’re going to wander in and have a little game with the ‘A’ team,” Botham said on “the Old Boys, New Balls” podcast.
“‘Alright mate, how are you? Good on ya’ and we’re going to go and perform? 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.”
Botham cited the heat, hard bouncy pitches and the home crowds among the difficult factors to cope with.
“You’re not playing against the Australian cricket team, you’re playing against Australia – 24.5 million people,” he said.
England coach McCullum and captain Ben Stokes have named a 16-player squad for the five-test series starting on November 21 as they attempt to reclaim the Ashes for the first time since 2015, having not won a series in Australia since 2011.
Botham also voiced concern about England’s fitness management, particularly with their pace attack.
“Bowlers don’t get fit in gyms, that’s been proven,” he said.
“Look at the record with injuries — (Mark) Wood, (Jofra) Archer, Stokes, Brydon Carse… they don’t play enough. You get fit by playing.”
Former skipper Alastair Cook, whose runs guided England to their last series win in Australia in 2010-11, said it was an ‘interesting choice’ of schedule but could only be judged after the series was over.
“I would feel more comfortable with them having a four-day game against Australia A as well, leading into it, because I think playing against Australian batters is important as a bowling side,” Cook told reporters at an event to announce TNT Sports’ coverage plans for the Ashes on Tuesday.
“You have to trust them, don’t you? They’ve obviously made this decision as a group, and they’ll get judged on how well it goes. If they start well at Perth, then it’s fine.
“We had three (warm-up) games in 13-14 (England lost the series 5-0), and got blown away in that series.
“They will know that if it all ends badly, that you guys will be writing about it.”
(Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond and Toby Davis)
