Ben Stokes has proven an unwillingness to heed the recommendation of England cricket legends of years passed by after the group’s captain loved a spherical of golf along with his teammates simply days earlier than the primary Ashes Take a look at.
Stokes, top-order batter Ollie Pope, quick bowler Matthew Potts and plenty of others had been pictured taking part in on the Araluen Property course forward of the Perth recreation
The picturesque 18-hole course at a rustic membership 45km south-east of the Perth CBD, can also be used to host weddings and personal capabilities.
Different squad members have been captured on the prized hyperlinks, with former all-rounder star Andrew Flintoff becoming a member of them.
Araluen Property fetches charges value a small fortune, with full golf memberships costing upwards of $3000 per 12 months.
It comes as England’s preparation for the much-anticipated collection has come below immense scrutiny from heroes of yesteryear.
England captain Ben Stokes (pictured) was one of many England squad members to play golf on the prestigious Araluen Property course simply earlier than the primary Ashes Take a look at
Stokes (pictured left subsequent to top-order batter Ollie Pope and back-up batter Jordan Cox, proper) all performed a spherical of golf collectively at one among Australia’s most picturesque programs
The Araluen Property course (pictured) is among the many most sought-after areas for golf tragics
Stokes was compelled to reply final week after former skippers Michael Vaughan and Ian Botham hammered his group’s resolution to solely participate in a single three-day warm-up match towards a second-string English aspect.
‘There’s fairly just a few components that play into why we are able to’t put together how the ‘has-beens’ possibly ready up to now,’ Stokes stated final week.
‘However we’re very assured and really snug with how we put together, as a result of we go away no stone unturned.’
It is not the primary time former captain Vaughan criticised the aspect’s preparation for an Ashes collection.
In 2023, he hammered England after they had been overwhelmed within the first Take a look at of that collection, criticising their very laidback strategy, which noticed the celebrities play golf at an opulent course in Buckinghamshire.
‘England opted to follow for the Ashes by taking part in golf for every week. I might have beloved to have seen them play no less than two days of cricket main into an enormous Ashes collection,’ Vaughan stated.
The present England group hopes the relaxed preparation will present precisely what they should lastly win once more in Australia, having not gained an Ashes match right here since early 2011.
England has additionally didn’t win an Ashes collection since 2015, with solely three gamers from that profitable squad making the journey Down Beneath this time round.
A big group of England squad members and previous greats (pictured) dusted off their golf equipment on the gorgeous course south-west of Perth
Former England skipper Michael Vaughan (pictured) has been one of many present England aspect’s greatest critics. He beforehand blasted the group for enjoying an excessive amount of golf
Joe Root (pictured) is the second-highest Take a look at run-scorer – however has by no means notched a century in a Take a look at match performed in Australia
Ben Stokes, Joe Root and Mark Wooden, the three gamers who had been a part of the profitable squad in 2015, may see this as their last probability to win the urn in Australia.
The primary Take a look at at Perth Stadium will get underway on Friday.
England is ready to enter new territory, having by no means performed a Take a look at match on the floor.
There was quite a lot of hypothesis concerning the pitch for the conflict, with Vaughan airing his conspiracy idea that it is going to be doctored in response to the withdrawal via damage of Aussie tempo spearheads Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins.
