England captain Ben Stokes has hit back at criticism of his team's truncated Ashes preparation, labelling former players who have questioned the schedule as 'has-beens'. The England squad arrived in Perth less than two weeks before the first Test, prompting concerns from legends such as Ian Botham about a lack of warm-up matches.
Speaking to reporters, Stokes defended the team's readiness, stating that preparations have been ongoing for years. 'I don't know what else we're expected to be able to do. There's Shield cricket going on at the moment, so who would we play against?' he said, adding that the modern schedule is 'jam-packed' compared to previous eras.
England will play a three-day match against an England Lions XI starting Thursday, following six limited-overs games in New Zealand. Stokes insisted the team will be ready for the first Test on November 21 at Perth Stadium, saying, 'Come the 21st of this month, we know that we would have done everything possible that we could have done.'
The tourists are aiming to become the first England men's team to win a Test in Australia since the 2010/11 series. Stokes and Joe Root have never won a Test in Australia, with England losing the last three away Ashes series 5-0, 4-0, and 4-0.
Stokes also backed Root to overcome his poor record in Australia, where he has not scored a century in 14 Tests. 'He's the greatest English batter that the nation's seen,' Stokes said. 'He's not come out here to score a 100 in Australia, he's come out here to contribute to the team.'
Stokes urged his teammates not to be daunted by the Ashes atmosphere, saying, 'There's a lot more that goes on away from the cricket itself... but making sure it's nothing to be afraid of, nothing to be scared of, and don't shy away from it.'
