England have passed up the opportunity to give their first-choice batters some match practice in an Ashes tour game in Canberra, despite their dismal defeat in the first Test.
The tourists were beaten inside two days in Perth, meaning an 11-day break before the second Test, which is a day-night game in Brisbane.
The extended gap created the possibility of players who had featured in the first Test joining England Lions’ two-day pink-ball game against a Prime Minister’s XI in the capital on Saturday and Sunday.
Instead, only pace bowlers Josh Tongue and Matthew Potts, and batter Jacob Bethell – none of whom were involved in the first Test – will leave the Ashes squad to join the Lions.
It is understood that none of the England players from the first Test XI asked to play in Canberra.
England will travel to Brisbane on Wednesday and are not scheduled to train until Monday. There is the possibility of an extra training session on Sunday.
Former England fast bowler and BBC chief cricket commentator Jonathan Agnew has described it as a “bizarre situation”.
“When we heard England were considering sending some players to Canberra for the England Lions game, we assumed it would be those in need of practice,” said Agnew.
“England are responsible for their preparation and their performances on the field. They are responsible for giving it their best shot of winning the Ashes. The proof of the pudding will be in the eating.
“England – the management, players and administrators – will be held to account at the end of the Ashes if their plans do not work.”
Agnew’s view was echoed by another former England fast bowler.
“It certainly wouldn’t hurt to go and spend time in the middle from either a batting or bowling perspective,” said Steve Finn.
“I’ve absolutely no doubt that these guys practice very, very hard in the nets, they practice very hard to prepare themselves to play in Test matches.
“But certainly given what we saw in the Perth Test match, it wouldn’t hurt for people to go and play, especially in a pink ball game where the conditions and the way the ball behaves and the way the ball feels in your hand and feels off the bat is so different to normal cricket.”
Speaking on Saturday, former Ashes-winning England captain Michael Vaughan said it would be “amateurish” to pass up the opportunity to play in Canberra.
“What harm is it playing two days of cricket with the pink ball under lights?” Vaughan told the Test Match Special podcast.
“I can’t be so old school to suggest that by playing cricket they might get a little bit better?
“My method would be, you’ve got a pink-ball two-day game, you go and grab it, go and take it, play those two days and give yourself the best chance.”