Ex-England captain lashes out at Ben Stokes & Co. for lack of preparation after Ashes debacle

Former England captain Michael Atherton feels that the 4-1 defeat to Australia in the Ashes will haunt Ben Stokes & Co. for a long time and explained how the team could have avoided such a monumental setback. The Baggy Greens once again asserted their dominance over their arch-rivals by winning the first three Tests in just 11 days. Even though they ended up on the losing side in Melbourne, they bounced back brilliantly and came out victorious in the fifth Test.

Atherton called out the England team for their lack of preparation heading into the Ashes and even labelled it as one of the primary reasons behind their one-sided defeat to the Aussies.

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"For me, it's the magnitude of the errors. I don't think there is any worse thing for an athlete to feel than not giving yourself the best chance to succeed, whether that is through preparation or how you played," Atherton said on Sky Sports.

"England have not given themselves the best chance to be at their best and that will haunt them in years to come. Pat Cummins has played one game, Josh Hazlewood none, Nathan Lyon one and a half, plus you have three of Australia's top five averaging in the mid-20s," he added.

Atherton wants Cook to come in

Atherton also suggested that a change in personnel can work for England. He believes that Alastair Cook can be a great addition in the coaching set-up and can come in as an assistant coach, adding that the younger set of players will be able to learn a lot with him.

"When Stokes and McCullum came in, it was post-Covid, and everyone was ready for the liberation they provided. It was a beaten-down team and that freedom was perfect for that because you had a lot of top-notch, high-class players," Atherton stated.

"But the team is at a different stage now where you have young players who need to learn about playing hard, winning cricket. With the team at a different phase, it might need a different approach from the coaching staff. I gave the example of Sir Alastair Cook coming in as an assistant or whatever to drive up standards," he further added.

Focus shifts to white-ball cricket

Meanwhile, both England and Australia will now be shifting their focus to white-ball cricket with the 2026 T20 World Cup right around the corner. The two teams are scheduled to play T20I series before the competition as well. The tournament will begin from February 7 and will be played in India and Sri Lanka.