Brett Lee says England’s poor preparation cost them any chance at winning the Ashes
England’s bowlers have been unable to maintain their top pace or consistent line or length — and the batting hasn’t been much better. Brett Lee says there’s a clear answer as to why.
England has effectively cost itself any chance of regaining the Ashes because of poor preparation, according to former Australian star Brett Lee.
As touring coach Brendon McCullum posited the extraordinary view that his side had over-prepared for the second Test, Lee argued that England’s inability to maintain top pace and consistently botched lengths was a result of not being match-hardened.
England played just one pre-Ashes tour match after arriving in Australia, a three-day affair against the shadowing England Lions at Perth’s Lilac Hill, a ground at which the bounce was nowhere near the challenging conditions presented during the series opener at Perth Stadium.
Perhaps even more controversially, the tourists then opted against sending any of their incumbent Test players to Canberra for a two-day Prime Minister’s XI pink ball match ahead of the day-night Test at the Gabba.
Twin eight-wicket defeats have ensued in the Tests to date, leaving England needing to defy almost 90 years of history by coming from 2-0 down to win the series with three rubbers remaining.
The tourists’ batting has been patchy, while their catching at the Gabba – spilling five chances – was woeful.
However perhaps more than anything, England’s inability to maintain the rage with the ball has allowed Australia to combat the absence of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood thus far in the series.
While Lee – commentating on the series for Kayo Sports – said it was clear England’s bowlers weren’t lacking in effort, he said there was one clear factor that had let down McCullum’s men.
“Preparation, lack of, in my opinion,” Lee told this masthead.
“I think they have bowled the incorrect length. They bowl way too short. I don’t think they’ve had the right field setting.
“The choice not to play a certain amount of games out here on Australian soil. And look, everyone prepares differently. They’re athletes, and they’re trying their hardest, and you never take that away from because they also want to win right. And they want to bowl the right length.
“You can bowl in the nets until the cows come home, but like when you’re in the middle, it’s a different, feeling. It’s a different vibe. You’re under more pressure, the stress of your body’s a lot more because you’re playing like a real game situation. So what I would have liked to see is England play a number of games, and three, four-day cricket, play a pink game as well. You know, get some use of the pink ball and the lights, how it feels in the hand to bowl.”
The chasm between Jofra Archer’s quickest and slowest spells became a major talking point after his verbal to-and-fro with Steve Smith during Australia’s run chase at the Gabba on Sunday night.
Lee noted the contrast between Archer’s volatility and the uber-consistency of Mitchell Starc, who is motoring towards likely player of the series honours.
“Jofra Archer, massive fan. Love watching him bowl. I love seeing him back in Test cricket. And when he’s on, he’s one of the best in the world to watch,” Lee said.
“He can bowl 150 Ks … and obviously, in Perth, what he did, he bowled quick.
“But the next spell starts at 128-130 Ks, so the speed drops completely off. As a fast bowler, you’ve gotta maintain that speed. It’s hard work. Mitchell Starc, on the other hand, because he’s done the hard yards because he’s got the miles and the legs in the tank. He’s 145 (km/h) consistently. (And) he batted for two and a half hours.”
Lee said he expected England would improve as the series wore on, but it may be too late.
“I think England will be better for the run, third, fourth and fifth Test. I think you’ll see an improvement of the bowling, because they’ve had two games on their belt, but potentially should have happened before the first Test, in my opinion.”
McCullum made the eyebrow-raising claim that England had gone too far the other way between the first and second Tests.
“I actually felt like we over-prepared to be honest,” McCullum said on Channel 7 on Sunday night.
“I think sometimes when you’re in the heat of the battle, as we all know, sometimes the most important thing is to feel a bit fresh.”
Originally published as Brett Lee says England’s poor preparation cost them any chance at winning the Ashes
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