‘Grow up’: England’s request for next Aussie tour; Poms in hilarious cafe mishap — Ashes Daily

Australia cruised to victory in Brisbane for an ominous 2-0 lead and despite suggestions they “trained too much”, reports from England indicate that may not be the case.

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Meanwhile, a Test cricket legend has put the spotlight on Ben Stokes and a hilarious mishap involving three England players has been revealed.

Read on for that and MORE in the Ashes Daily!

‘GROW UP’: ENGLAND WANT BETTER PREP FOR FUTURE ASHES

Brendon McCullum may have claimed they “trained too much”, but reports that England are requesting better warmup preparations before the 2029-30 Ashes series suggest otherwise.

McCullum’s response to criticism of England’s preparation has made headlines after Australia cruised to a 2-0 series lead, with the tourists playing only one pre-series warm-up match and then, following defeat inside two days in the first Test, opted against putting their first-choice players into a pink-ball tour game in Canberra in favour of more time in the nets.

Those decisions have drawn stinging criticism from legendary former players with Ian Botham suggesting travelling fans should be demanding their money back from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

McCullum was defiant when quizzed on England’s preparations, telling the BBC that if anything they “trained too much” having participated in five “intense” training sessions leading into the second Test.

That, however, is at odds with reports from both The Telegraph and The Guardian which claim that England is after better preparation for future series.

According to the Guardian, the ECB is prepared to offer Australia its pick of warmup facilities before the next Ashes in 2027 in a bid to get similar treatment in return ahead of the 2029-30 series down under.

Specifically, England is looking for a mutually-beneficial arrangement where both teams are guaranteed “high‑class facilities, on similar surfaces and in similar weather to those they will face in Tests, and matches against high‑quality opposition if desired”, as per The Guardian.

England had asked to use the Waca Ground prior to the first Test at Perth Stadium, but that was denied with a Sheffield Shield game between Western Australia and Queensland already scheduled.

UK VIEW: How McCullum ‘brainwashed’ Eng stars as Bazball ‘cult’ blasted

Instead, England was reportedly offered the chance to play its warmup game on a club ground in Adelaide or a ground of similar quality in Perth.

Furthermore, The Guardian reported that England was then offered a two-day pink-ball warmup for the day-night Test in Brisbane in Canberra, where Peter Siddle even conceded the conditions would be “totally different” and that “there’s not going to be a lot they can get out of it”.

That is in stark contrast to India’s preparation ahead of last year’s first Test in Perth, where they were afforded the opportunity to have an extended camp at the Waca.

One insider, meanwhile, cheekily pointed out to The Telegraph that “even the Barmy Arfmy played at the Waca” before the Perth Test, while a senior administrator called on boards to “grow up” and make sure the opposition is better prepared for Tests.

England’s players are now set to be handed four days off in the holiday resort of Noosa before the third Test in Adelaide begins on December 16.

THE AUSSIE THAT ENGLAND ‘WOULD NOT EVEN CONSIDER’ — AND WHY IT’S A PROBLEM

England captain Ben Stokes demanded his players toughen up after another embarrassing defeat to Australia, making clear the team is “not a place for weak men”.

The problem? Former England Test captain Michael Vaughan wrote in a column for The Telegraph that Stokes must accept his own role in letting that weakness “fester”.

“It has been a no-consequence environment for too long,” Vaughan wrote.

“The team are told how good they are, and backed constantly, whether they play well or not. English cricket is reaping what it has sown.”

Further to that, Vaughan wrote that he could actually find some sense in McCullum’s contentious claim that England trained “too much” before the first Test — but only because he believes that England’s younger players are being exposed to real-game environments enough.

“I do not understand why we don’t want them playing all the time, even if the opposition are not that good. Nets are fine but nothing beats going to bed at night with a score or a few wickets,” Vaughan added.

“It’s a great feeling. That is why I actually thought there was something in what Brendon McCullum said about England training too much before the Test.

It was a slightly strange thing to say after a defeat, but England train rather than play cricket, as we have seen on this tour. Lilac Hill was not the right prep, and they needed a pink-ball match to be truly ready.

“Training and not playing is just another example of a no-consequence environment. You never know if you are out or not in the nets, and you face another ball anyway.”

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For now, England have more than a week to regroup before the must-win third Test in Adelaide on December 17, where Australia is set to be strengthened by the return of skipper Pat Cummins.

England, meanwhile, is facing a near-impossible task to win the last three Tests to regain the Ashes but regardless of what happens, Vaughan believes a change is needed in their County system.

“Right now, England are the opposite of Australia,” he wrote.

“We had a laugh at the age profile of Australia’s team, and there are some cracks that England have failed to open up. But the Australian system has always been about earning the right,” Vaughan wrote.

“To get in the state team, you need to perform in grade cricket on a Saturday. The whole system is connected in a way ours just is not, top to bottom. Sam Konstas was an outlier last year, almost an England-style selection, but they seem to have learnt from it.

“Compare that to Jake Weatherald. At 31, he has been around the block and earned the right. He has been a hardened cricketer over 10 years. I do not think we would even consider looking at someone like him in English cricket. But he just looks ready.

“In English cricket, we gift our players a lot quickly. Until English cricket addresses all this, and remembers that Test cricket is a tough game that does not allow for shortcuts, the mediocrity will continue. You hear suggestions of weak men. That is what our system has created.”

HILARIOUS MISHAP AS STOKES DEFENDS ENGLAND’S NOOSA TRIP

Elsewhere, a hilarious mishap involving some England players at a Perth cafe has been revealed as the team comes under scrutiny for its scheduled four-day mini holiday on the beach at Noosa.

Cricket writer Cameron Ponsonby reported in his latest post for Cricket Et Al that the mini-series break will be a “paparazzi’s dream”, while citing one unfortunate incident at a riverside cafe in Perth involving Brydon Carse, Harry Brook and Zak Crawley.

According to Ponsonby, the trio went for brunch and Carse “had thousands of dollars in cash in his pocket that fell out and blew across the local area”.

“A scene from a cartoon, it took a community effort of mums, children and flat white drinkers to gather the notes and return them to the table of wealthy cricketers,” he added.

“They were polite, embarrassed, but the bad thing had happened anyway. The tour is going much the same way.”

Despite that, England is off for what Stokes defended as a much-needed getaway which he said was important for players to decompress.

“We have been here four weeks and they have been pretty full on,” he told reporters of the Noosa trip.

“As physical as this game is, a huge part of it is also the mental side of it. I know that. I have experienced that.

“I know what the game can do to you when things aren’t quite feeling right or going well.

“Trust me when I say it is so, so important for teams to be able to go away as a team and almost put the pressures aside for a couple of days.”

THUMPING LOSS EXPOSES ALARMING ENGLAND ISSUE

Elsewhere, England’s cricketing woes deepened Monday when their second-tier team crashed to Australia A by an innings and 127 runs, emphasising the tourists’ alarming lack of depth.

With England losing the first two Tests in Perth and Brisbane, it was a chance for a host of players to shine and make their case to selectors.

Young middle-order batsman Asa Tribe, 21, was the pick of the bunch with an unbeaten 129 in the second innings total of 295.

Test aspirant Jacob Bethell made 71 and could be an option to replace the under-performing Ollie Pope in the third Test at Adelaide next week.

Billed as the only “unofficial Test” of England’s Ashes tour, the Lions won the toss and chose to bat at Allan Border Field in Brisbane.

But they were skittled for 166 with Australian Test bowler Jhye Richardson taking 4-35 as he battles back from injuries.

In reply, Australia A racked up 588-8 declared with Nathan McSweeney pushing his claims for a Test recall with a superb unbeaten 226.

England spinner Shoaib Bashir, overlooked for the Ashes losses in Perth and Brisbane, conceded 115 in a wicketless 25 overs.

England’s back-up fast bowlers Josh Tongue and Matthew Potts did not play.