'Would be no questions asked' - Adil Rashid staunchly defends England's prep for Ashes amid mounting criticsm

As England struggle to wrestle back momentum on their side in the ongoing third Test of the Ashes at the Adelaide Oval following two consecutive losses in Perth and Brisbane, several pundits are questioning their mode of preparation.

England played a single warm-up game against the Lions at Lilac Hill in Perth in the lead-up to the series opener instead of playing against a local state side. The choice of venue and the opposition were questioned by Michael Vaughan and several other former England players who wished the Ben Stokes side had invested time in a more robust prep.

Vaughan felt that the wicket at Lilac Hill wasn't a replication of the bounce and carry available at the Optus Stadium, and therefore, it wasn't an ideal way of preparing for a marquee series like the Ashes.

England unravelled from a position of strength in the Perth Test and lost by eight wickets as the criticism hit a crescendo.

However, England's star leg-spinner Adil Rashid thinks differently and believes that the decision of head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes was justified. Rashid opined that the England Lions comprise fringe players with a bulk of experience, and therefore, playing against them allows the squad to fine-tune their preparedness.

"It's a tricky one because over the years, past 15-20 years, there's always been that thing where when you go play abroad you play against each other, there's a Lions team there, and that's very good preparation because when you play against a Lions team you still get good quality practice there because all the players are professionals," Rashid told Mr Cricket UAE on December 17.

"They all are on the fringes of international cricket, and some have played international cricket. So I reckon the preparation has been good as they do. They have got the balance right in terms of rest, and practice, and play, but just sometimes it doesn't happen. It would have been a different story if England had won the first game and second game, and they had prepared the same way; there would be no questions asked. So I reckon the preparation has been good," he added.

Notably, England's assistant coach Marcus Trescothick defended the team's limited preparation, describing it as the way of the modern game.