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Alastair Cook and Michael Vaughan urge Ben Stokes and England to play the pink-ball Test against Prime Minister’s XI, stressing its value before the Gabba match after Perth defeat.
England skipper Ben Stokes after losing the Ashes opener (AP)
Former England captain Alastair Cook has urged Ben Stokes and his team to reconsider their decision not to play the pink-ball Test against the Prime Minister’s XI following their loss in the Ashes opener in Perth on Saturday.
The much-anticipated first Test of the Ashes series between arch-rivals Australia and England ended in just two days, with the hosts securing an eight-wicket victory. As the second Test in Brisbane’s Gabba approaches, the England Lions are scheduled to play a two-day pink-ball Test against the Prime Minister’s XI. Cook, along with other pundits, believes that the senior men’s team should participate in the game instead of leaving it to the Lions.
In his Sunday Times column, Cook, who was England’s leading run-scorer in their last Ashes win in Australia in 2010-11, wrote, “In this situation, I would want to go and play in the pink-ball game against the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra, not just leave it to the Lions players. It can be an uncomfortable decision as you are opening yourself up to failing again, but putting yourself under pressure can have long-term benefits. However much you practise in the nets, you cannot replicate the feeling of time in the middle.”
Former Ashes-winning captain Michael Vaughan also emphasised the importance of practising with a pink ball under floodlights before the second Test.
“It’s amateurish if England don’t go out and practise between now and then,” Vaughan told Test Match Special.
“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.”
‘Hand On Heart’
Cook and Vaughan’s comments followed skipper Stokes’ assertion that England intends to stick to their plans and travel directly to Brisbane on November 26 to start preparations for the second Test at the Gabba.
“That’s how it was done a long time ago. We prepare incredibly well. We work incredibly hard every single day that we get the opportunity to work on our game, and that’s what we’ll keep on doing because we believe and we trust in our process. If the results don’t go the way in our favour, that’s not going to differ from that (sic) because, hand on heart, we know that we put every little bit or ounce of ourselves into our training, and we know and believe that this is the best way for this team to operate” Stokes told reporters after the game.
(With inputs from Agencies)
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin…Read More
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin… Read More
November 23, 2025, 13:01 IST
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