Vaughan Demands \’Amateurish\’ England Practice Pink Ball Cricket After Two-Day Ashes Rout

LONDON —  The suddenness of England’s two-day Ashes defeat in Perth has forced the team into a critical planning session, with former captain Michael Vaughan leading calls for immediate, intensive practice to avoid further failures.

The loss, where Travis Head\’s blistering 123 off 83 balls helped Australia chase down the target in record time, leaves England\’s players with unexpected downtime before the Second Test at The Gabba on December 4.

Vaughan emphasized that the quick loss meant the bowlers had minimal workload—only 70 overs—making the scheduled day-night match in Canberra an essential opportunity for preparation. The fixture is a pink ball Test for the England Lions against the Prime Minister\’s XI next week.

Speaking to Wisden, Vaughan was emphatic.

\”It\’s amateurish if they don\’t go an play [a day-night warm-up Test]… I mean, they\’ve played two days of cricket and they\’ve been out in the field for what, 70 overs? I\’d like to know why they wouldn\’t [hold a practice day-nighter].\”

It remains unclear how many of England\’s top players will participate in the Canberra warm-up, a decision that will test the leadership\’s commitment to finding match rhythm ahead of the Second Test.

While former legends like Geoffrey Boycott and Nasser Hussain criticized the aggressive \”Bazball\” strategy for gifting Australia the match, Coach Brendon McCullum insisted the team will not deviate from its philosophy.

McCullum admitted the loss will \”hurt for a long time,\” but stressed the need to maintain confidence and camaraderie. \”This is a marathon, not a sprint,\” he told TNT Sport, confirming that the team has an extended 10 to 12 days off to prepare for the next match.

The crucial Second Test at The Gabba will be followed by rapid one-week turnarounds to Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney, making the current preparation window vital for England\’s hopes of mounting a comeback in the series.