England decide NOT to give two-day Ashes flops pink-ball practice match - despite the Brisbane Test still being 10 days away!

England have passed up the opportunity to give their first-choice Ashes stars some match practice ahead of the second Test in Brisbane despite their dismal defeat in Perth.

Ben Stokes' side suffered a harrowing loss in the first Test by eight wickets inside two days in a game that was characterised by two dismal batting displays from the tourists.

The second Test, which will be a pink-ball day-night match, gets underway next Thursday, meaning there is now a lengthy wait to get back on the pitch.

As part of their Ashes tour, England will take on a Prime Minister's XI in a two-day pink-ball match this weekend, providing an opportunity for valuable practice in unfamiliar conditions.

However, England have decided not to select any of the XI that played in Perth in that tour match, with the Lions set to make up most of the team instead.

Matt Potts, Jacob Bethell and Josh Tongue - three members of the Ashes squad who missed the cut for the first Test - will join the Lions, who lost their tour game against a Cricket Australia XI over the weekend by eight wickets. 

England have been steadfast in their stance with tour games throughout Stokes' time as captain, with their preparation for the first Test criticised when they had just one warm-up game against the Lions.

However, preparation for the second Test in Brisbane feels particularly pertinent. 

Not only do England have an awful record in Brisbane, with their most recent victory coming in 1986, but they rarely play pink-ball Test matches.

In fact, England have lost five of their seven games in that format, while Australia have won 13 of 14 - and some members of the tourists' squad will have never played a game with a pink-ball. 

The heavy defeat in Perth led to some questioning whether Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum would change their stance for the tour game and give some stars some match practice.

However, Stokes remained unmoved when speaking on Saturday. 

'I've been asked this question a lot, that's how it was done a long time ago,' he told Test Match Special when asked if England would now change their plans.

'We prepare incredibly well and work incredibly hard every day we get the opportunity to work on our game.

'We've operated in this way, where we know that the preparation we put in is correct in the way it works for us.'

McCullum had added: 'We've just got to work out what the pros and cons are. We're not married to any position at the moment, but we'll work it out in a couple of days.'

But England's decision to not alter those plans has attracted criticism from supporters and pundits alike. 

Taking to X, former England captain Michael Vaughan posted: 'This England management do it their own way... that's fine... I would personally have loved to see them all playing a pink ball 2 day game to prepare for a pink ball test...'

Vaughan had previously said it would be 'amateurish' if England passed up the opportunity before he added: 'What harm is it playing two days of cricket with the pink ball under lights?'

'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.'

The optics of England's decision aren't great and if they are beaten in Brisbane it will only add fuel to the fire of the criticism surrounding their preparation for this tour.  

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