England batsmen decide not to play in pink-ball game in Canberra against Prime Minister’s XI before Gabba Test
England’s first-choice first six turned their nose up at the option of pink-ball match training for the Gabba Ashes Test and did not send a single batsman playing in Perth to Canberra for the Prime Minister’s XI match.
Squad players Jacob Bethel (the only reserve batsman in the squad) Matthew Potts and Josh Tongue chose to sit out the game.
Zak Crawley made a double duck in Perth.Credit: Getty Images
However, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes and Jamie Smith will fly from Perth to Brisbane on Wednesday and are not scheduled to train again until Monday next week.
Stokes had strongly hinted that this would be his team’s course of action as they were beaten in two days in Perth.
But the decision not to play any more games, particularly for Crawley, Root and Brook, is likely to bring a harsh backlash from former England players who criticized the tourists for only playing a warm-up game.
Former captain Michael Vaughan said: “It’s amateurish for them not to go and play now.” “What’s the harm in playing cricket for two days with a pink ball under the lights?
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“They played cricket for two days. They have been on the field for 70 years.” [67.3] is it over? Look, they are professional cricketers. I can’t be old-fashioned enough to suggest that you can get a little better by playing cricket.
“My method is you’ve got two days of pink ball play: go get it, go and get it. Play those two days and make sure you give yourself the best chance.”
