Marcus Trescothick, England batting coach, has come out in support of the minimal preparation that the team has had ahead of the Ashes series stating that the decision not to have multiple warm-up matches is in accordance with the requirements of modern cricket. Over the last week, England's players have been arriving one by one in Perth. On Tuesday, the entire squad, which also comprises players returning from the limited-overs tour of New Zealand, was involved in an extended two-hour training session at Lilac Hill in Perth's eastern suburbs.
The tourists will be the first to play a three-day practice match against the England Lions at the same venue from Thursday. However, their preparation for the first Ashes Test, unlike the tours of 2013 and 2017, will not see them playing a game against a Western Australia XI.
“It’s the way of the modern game,” says Marcus Trescothick
Responding to criticism from former England great Ian Botham, who called the limited preparation “bordering on arrogance,” Trescothick maintained that the team is satisfied with its schedule and facilities. Botham had expressed concern that avoiding a match against a state team might leave the players underprepared for the fast and bouncy surface at Optus Stadium, where the first Ashes Test begins on November 21.
“I think the way these series are generally done, for us and for other teams, is shaped by the amount of cricket being played globally,” Trescothick told The West Australian. “You simply don’t have time for two or three First-Class games anymore. It’s the way of the modern game now. We’re very happy with our setup — we’ve had excellent net facilities here, plus the match against the Lions. After that, we’ll have three days of practice at Optus to get used to the bounce and pace, and we’ll go from there.”
Since Brendon McCullum took over as head coach and Ben Stokes as captain in 2022, England have undergone a remarkable transformation in Test cricket, adopting an ultra-aggressive approach famously dubbed ‘Bazball’ — a philosophy that has redefined their red-ball strategy.
