Marcus Trescothick has defended England’s limited red-ball preparation ahead of The Ashes while Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey has brushed off Stuart Broad’s assessment that the hosts have their “worst team since 2010”.
England will play a solitary three-day warm-up game against the England Lions from November 13 ahead of the Ashes opener at Optus Stadium in Perth from November 21.
That is in stark contrast to the last time the tourists triumphed in Australia in 2010/11 when they took on state sides Western Australia and South Australia as well as Australia A during a heavy build-up ahead of the drawn first Test in Brisbane.
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England assistant cricket coach Marcus Trescothick hailed Harry Brook after the white-ball captain’s ‘special’ century during the defeat to New Zealand in the first ODI
England went on to win the second, fourth and fifth Tests of the series by an innings to secure a 3-1 victory, with Australia’s sole success coming in the third fixture at the WACA.
Speaking from New Zealand ahead of England’s second ODI against the Black Caps in Hamilton on Wednesday (1am start UK time), assistant coach Trescothick said: “It’s not like [the players] have had three months without playing any cricket.
“It’s only a month since the last county game finished. They are prepping here [in New Zealand], all getting into it, and we have been good at adapting to different conditions in different places in recent years.
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Trescothick gives insight into the impact All Blacks’ mental skills coach Gilbert Enoka is having on the squad
“It’s not necessarily about having five games as that has an impact later in the series.
“If you take that time and add that to the trip and you are there for months, that is really tricky with the amount of cricket these guys play these days.
“It about getting that preparation right and getting the guys together has worked well before – keeping it short, sharp and intense and working in that fashion.”
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Australia head coach Andrew McDonald is ‘hopeful’ captain Pat Cummins will play in the second Ashes Test after it was announced the fast bowler will miss the series opener against England with a back problem
Carey on Broad jibe: ‘Wait and see…’
England have not won a Test in Australia since that 2010/11 success, swept 5-0 in the 2013/14 series and then suffering back-to-back 4-0 defeats in 2017/18 and 2021/22.
However, Australia enter this winter’s showdown with question marks over the exact make-up of their top three in the batting line-up, while captain Pat Cummins will miss at least the first Test due to a back injury.
Broad said recently that this is Australia’s weakest team overall since the one England defeated 15 years ago, but home wicketkeeper Carey told reporters on Tuesday: “Is that what he said, did he? We’ll wait and see…
“We’ve got a really experienced cricket team who have had a lot of success over the last three, four, five years.
Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey listed off his side’s recent successes after Stuart Broad’s ‘worst team since 2010’ comment
“To win a World Test Championship, retain the Ashes [in England] and make another World Test Championship final was pretty good recognition.
“All the guys have played against Stuart in the past and we know how big a competitor he is and how much he’s done for Test cricket.
“When you see players transition into the media, they’re absolutely open to their opinions and the playing group doesn’t hold any comments against anyone.”
Carey expects England fans to remind him of the role he played in Jonny Bairstow’s controversial stumping during the 2023 Lord’s Ashes Test, a moment Broad told Carey at the time was “all he will ever be remembered for.”
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Jonny Bairstow was controversially stumped by Carey on the final day of the 2023 Lord’s Ashes Test, with the ball deemed not dead when the England batter walked out of his crease
The Australian said: “It’s going to be exciting… the Barmy Army, I think I’ve seen a few chants come through already, which is great.
“It’s part of the game. We love it, it’s sports – I totally understand there’s heroes and villains. That’s what Ashes cricket is all about.
“That sort of stuff is in the history of the game, it will get spoken about forever. But as a player and as a playing group, you want to be in those big moments.
“I experienced it over in England so hopefully the Australian crowd can block out some of that noise – and we have more fans here for Australia than England.”
Ashes series in Australia 2025/26
All times UK and Ireland
First Test: Friday November 21 – Tuesday November 25 (2.30am) – Optus Stadium, PerthSecond Test (day/night): Thursday December 4 – Monday December 8 (4.30am) – The Gabba, BrisbaneThird Test: Wednesday December 17 – Sunday December 21 (12am) – Adelaide OvalFourth Test: Thursday December 25 – Monday December 29 (11.30pm) – Melbourne Cricket GroundFifth Test: Sunday January 4 – Thursday January 8 (11.30pm) – Sydney Cricket Ground
