Stokes takes aim at 'has-beens' as England's Ashes prep criticised

[ad_1] Criticism of England's truncated preparation for this summer season's Ashes sequence seems to have irked touring captain Ben Stokes.

The England group gathered for a coaching session in Perth on Wednesday, a day after the complete contingent landed in Australia, lower than two weeks earlier than the primary Take a look at.

Stokes's facet will play a three-day match in opposition to an England Lions XI, beginning on Thursday, after enjoying six limited-overs matches in New Zealand final month.

Some former gamers, together with England legend Ian Botham, have questioned the dearth of warm-up matches for the vacationers forward of the five-Take a look at sequence.

However Stokes mentioned the group's choices had been restricted.

"We have been getting ready for this tour not [just] during the last three weeks; we have been placing lots of thought and course of into this for the previous few years now," he advised reporters.

England will play a three-day warm-up match in opposition to a Lions XI from Thursday. ( ABC Sport: Bridget McArthur )

"I do not know what else we're anticipated to have the ability to do. There's [Sheffield] Defend cricket happening in the intervening time, so who would we play in opposition to?

"So there's fairly a number of elements that play into the entire of why we will not [prepare] how the has-beens have possibly ready previously."

Stokes mentioned the schedule was "jam-packed" in a means that earlier generations could not have skilled.

"Come the twenty first of this month, we all know that we'd have executed every part attainable that we may have executed," he mentioned.

<h2 class="Typography_base__sj2RP Heading_heading__VGa5B future_heading__Gcudw Heading_default__Z3p_p Typography_sizeMobile18__eJCIB Typography_sizeDesktop20___6qCS Typography_lineHeightMobile24__crkfh Typography_lineHeightDesktop24__Fh_y5 Typography_marginBottomMobileSmall__6wx7m Typography_marginBottomDesktopSmall__CboX4 Typography_bold__FqafP Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx Typography_normalise__u5o1s" data-component="Heading">England's touring schedule Nov 13-15: Heat-up match vs England Lions XI at Lilac HillNov 21-25: First Take a look at vs Australia at Perth StadiumNov 29-30: Heat-up match vs PM's XI at Manuka OvalDec 4-8: Second Take a look at (D/N) vs Australia on the GabbaDec 17-21: Third Take a look at vs Australia at Adelaide OvalDec 26-30: Fourth Take a look at vs Australia at MCGJan 4-8: Fifth Take a look at vs Australia at SCG England will face the Prime Minister's XI over two days in Canberra through the scheduled nine-day hole between the primary Take a look at in Perth and the second in Brisbane.

Brendon McCullum's group of so-called Bazballers can be making an attempt to develop into the primary England males's group to win a Take a look at on Australian soil because the dominant 3–1 sequence victory in 2010/11.

Stokes and fellow veteran Joe Root have by no means received a Take a look at down below, as Australia has received 5–0, 4–0 and 4–0 the previous 3 times England travelled for the Ashes.

Apart from the group's fortunes, Root can also be desirous to shrug off his underwhelming file in Australia, having not scored a century in 14 Exams.

It's the solely nation the place he has failed to achieve triple figures after enjoying greater than three Exams and his 35.68 common is his worst anyplace on the earth except for a two-Take a look at tour of Bangladesh in 2016.

"He is the best English batter that the nation's seen," Stokes mentioned.

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"He is been in phenomenal kind during the last two or three years.

"He isn't come out right here to attain a 100 in Australia, he is come out right here to contribute to the group."

Stokes, who scored England's solely century after making his debut throughout Mitchell Johnson's fearsome 2013/14 sequence, has urged his group to not be daunted by enjoying in Australia.

"Coming to Australia for the Ashes is so much completely different than anything while you're enjoying," he mentioned.

"There's much more that goes on away from the cricket itself.

"It is simply making everybody conscious that is the case however ensuring it is nothing to be afraid of, nothing to be fearful of, and do not shrink back from it."