Ashes 2025-26 — Why England senior players skipped pink-ball tour game after Perth loss: Vaughan, McCullum react
England’s preparations for the second Ashes Test have come under fire after senior players opted out of a pink-ball tour game despite their heavy defeat in Perth.
Only three squad members Jacob Bethell, Matthew Potts and Josh Tongue all unused in the first Test will feature in a two-day match against a Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra. The rest, including Joe Root, Zak Crawley and Harry Brook, have chosen to train in Brisbane ahead of the day-night Test beginning December 4.
The decision has been met with sharp criticism. Former England captain Michael Vaughan called it “amateurish”, questioning why players wouldn’t maximise time with the pink ball given Mitchell Starc’s formidable record under lights and England’s unfamiliarity with the format.
“You have 11 days between Tests and are 1-0 down,” Vaughan wrote in The Telegraph. “I can’t get my head around why they all wouldn’t want to just play.”
Australia’s dominance in pink-ball Tests adds to the scrutiny. The host has won 13 of 14 such matches, putting England at risk of falling 2-0 behind in the five-match series.
Pragmatic call
Head coach Brendon McCullum defended the decision, stressing that team cohesion and confidence were also priorities after the Perth collapse.
“We’ve got to work out whether that extra cricket is the key, or making sure that camaraderie is tight and morale doesn’t drop,” McCullum said in reference to the Canberra game.
“We’ve just got to work out what the pros and cons of all that are.”
Published on Nov 25, 2025
