England's final preparations for the highly anticipated Ashes series have begun under quiet skies in Perth, with their lone warm-up match against the England Lions at Lilac Hill Park drawing a surprisingly small crowd.
Sparse Crowds Greet Full-Strength England
Despite perfect batting conditions on Thursday morning, the English fans were notably absent, with more players than spectators on the ground. This was in stark contrast to the warm welcome fast bowler Mark Wood said the team had received since arriving in Perth over a week ago.
Captain Ben Stokes led a full-strength side, opting to bowl first after winning the toss. The team selection highlighted their strategy, featuring four fast bowlers alongside Stokes himself as the all-rounder.
Team Selection and Preparation Under Scrutiny
Notable omissions from the main squad included off-spinner Shoaib Bashir and all-rounder Jacob Bethell, who were both placed with the Lions team. This move suggests they are unlikely to challenge for a spot in the first Test lineup, with Ollie Pope appearing secure in the number three batting position.
All eyes were on spearhead Jofra Archer during the warm-ups, but his efforts were described as light, raising concerns that he may be underprepared for the fierce battle ahead.
Stokes Fires Back at Critics
England's preparation for the Ashes has faced fierce criticism from former greats both in Australia and back home, with many suggesting the team is ill-prepared for the baptism of fire expected at Optus Stadium when the series begins on November 21.
Captain Ben Stokes did not hold back in his response, labelling the critics as "has-beens" while defending his team's training regimen. "There's quite a few factors that play into why we can't prepare how the has-beens maybe prepared in the past," Stokes stated. "I don't really know what we're supposed to do, to be honest. Come the 21st of this month, we know that we would've done everything that is possible that we could've done to be in the right place..."
With the first Test just over a week away, all attention now turns to how England will use this single practice match to fine-tune their game for one of cricket's greatest rivalries.
