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Ben Stokes in action. (FILE photo)
Former England captain Michael Vaughan has said that the current group of players must respect the opinion of former cricketers, who he felt desperately wanted the side to win the Ashes against Australia Down Under. The 51-year-old said that the former players were expressing their views because they were concerned about certain aspects and observed a risk in the way they were going about their preparations.
Ahead of the first Test at Perth on November 21, England opted to play only one intra-squad match, which started at Lilac Hill on Thursday. Legendary all-rounder Ian Botham had questioned the team’s preparation, ahead of such a big series.
“England have to accept that there will be scrutiny. Just because the “has-beens” have a different view does not mean these are not valid comments. England should respect those views. They are coming from legends of the game who cannot play any more because they are too old, but that does not mean they do not desperately want England to win! All the former players and media I have spoken to want England to win this series. They are saying these things because they are concerned, and see the risk,” Vaughan wrote in his Telegraph column.
The 2005 Ashes-winning captain, however, supported England’s idea of playing just one warm-up match ahead of the series, admitting that players needed to be fresh before the start of a big tour.
“I admire England’s approach. I have no qualms when leaders have clear direction. The theory behind playing just one warm-up is to keep the players fresh ahead of such a gruelling series, and also control the standard of cricket in an era where the hosts have not always provided quality opposition. This sort of method has seen them get off to good starts in every away series under Stokes,” he wrote.
He also alluded to the contrasting preparation for both teams in the lead-up to the series, referring to how many of the Australian regulars had turned up to play in the Sheffield Shield.
“It is interesting how the two camps are taking different approaches. Almost all of Australia’s players have been in Sheffield Shield action this week, a more traditional approach. But I am sure there will have been some smiles in the England camp when Josh Hazlewood briefly became a doubt, having felt something while playing, and reserve quick Sean Abbott was ruled out having done a hamstring at the SCG, where there is an AFL outfield. There is risk attached to playing as well, and it is a fine balance. There are guys you want to wrap in cotton wool to make sure they are ready for the big moments,” he wrote.
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