Ashes: Ben Stokes defends England criticism of ‘what was’

In a busy schedule, England have just completed a white-ball series in New Zealand.

Even if they had arranged a series of first-class matches in Australia, their competition might not have been as strong, given the ongoing domestic Sheffield Shield competition.

Criticism of the build-up came from former players on both sides of the Ashes split.

“Cricket has changed a lot,” Stokes said. “Preparation is not as simple as it used to be. You can go out on tour two months before the first match starts.

“We’ve been preparing for this tour for not only the last three weeks, but we’ve put a lot of thought and process into this for a few years now. I don’t know what else we’re expected to be able to do.”

“There are quite a few factors as to why we couldn’t prepare the way what might have been prepared in the past. Everything has changed. We’re very comfortable with how we’re preparing because we’re not leaving any stone unturned.”

Stokes, 34, has not played since being ruled out of the final Test against India in the summer.

He was impressive in that series before suffering the injury, which came after he put himself under a heavy bowling workload. Injuries have prevented Stokes from completing any of the past four Test series in England.

However, he has been bowling full speed in training, which he said he has been doing for two months.

With Australian captain Pat Cummins missing the first Test due to a back injury, the pitcher’s final destination could be affected by which captain spends the most time on the field, and Stokes said he is in a “good place” to get through the series.

“That’s all I’ve been doing for the last three months, making sure I’m fit and strong,” he said.

“When the Test series starts, it’s about being rational during the breaks, about the amount of work I put in, because I’ve been preparing to get here now.”