England legend Ian Botham believes Ben Stokes’ men will be undercooked heading into the Ashes, declaring that England’s warm-up schedule for the blockbuster series “borders on arrogance”.
Before the five-Test campaign gets underway in late November, England will play six white-ball matches against the Black Caps in New Zealand before a three-day warm-up contest against the travelling England Lions in Perth.
In generations past, touring England squads would prepare for an Ashes tour with multiple warm-up games, including red-ball contests against the state sides.
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Botham, who won Ashes series in Australia in 1978/79 and 1986/97, confessed he was “worried” about the England team’s limited preparation for the marquee series.
“We’re going to wander in and have a little game with the ‘A’ team,” Botham said on 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.”
Speaking on the Love of Cricket podcast last week, England cricket boss Rob Key argued the national squad doesn’t need multiple matches to ready themselves for a Test series, adding there wasn’t room in the sport’s packed schedule for extra warm-up games.
“You can’t be in Australia for a month and half before playing games,” Key explained, pointing out the white-ball tour of New Zealand concludes on November 1.
“Mark Wood doesn’t need ten games in the (County) Championship to get ready, or practice matches. He can generally, through practice sessions in the nets, just come in at 95m/h.”
“Everyone’s different.”
However, Botham was concerned about the readiness of England’s pace attack, who won’t have much red-ball cricket under their belt before the first Test in Perth.
“Bowlers don’t get fit in gyms, that’s been proven,” Botham continued.
“Look at the record with injuries – (Mark) Wood, (Jofra) Archer, Ben Stokes, Brydon Carse – they don’t play enough. You get fit by playing.
“If it goes horribly wrong, Mark Wood breaks down in the first game, or Jofra Archer does, or Ben can’t bowl, we are suddenly chasing the eight-ball before we’ve started.
“It’s a worry.”
The first Ashes Test between Australia and England gets underway at Perth Stadium on November 21.
