Stokes has been in rehab after undergoing a knee surgery at the end of November in London and is aiming to be fit in time for the series opener against India starting from January 25 in Hyderabad.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
England will be having a training camp in Abu Dhabi before arriving in Hyderabad three days ahead of the series opener, something which let Harmison irritated. \u201cIf England go in just three days before, they just have to get beat 5-0, they really do. I\u2019m an old man and that\u2019s what they\u2019re going to say, times have changed, the game has changed.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cBut I\u2019ll tell you what, preparation hasn\u2019t changed. You cannot go into India underprepared, you cannot go into India overprepared, you could be there for six weeks and still go into that first Test and the emotion and cauldron that goes in,\u201d he said to TalkSport radio.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
After the match in Hyderabad, India and England will play subsequent Test matches in Visakhapatnam, Rajkot, Ranchi and Dharamshala. An England Lions squad will also be playing matches against India \u2018A\u2019 team at Ahmedabad in January.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The series in India is billed to be the biggest challenge for Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum, especially in terms of their ultra-attacking style of play and continuing with it in spin-friendly sub-continental conditions. England had won the series opener in Chennai in 2021, but lost the series 3-1.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cBut going three days before, I\u2019d love to know \u2013 you talk about (Kevin) Pietersen and (Sir Alastair) Cook, the only side that\u2019s won there in 2012, what they would think if you were going in three days before, I think they\u2019d have laughed at you.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cTo be honest, I love this new approach, I love the Ben Stokes, the Brendon McCullum approach, Rob Key and everything the ECB have done, but I\u2019m sorry, going to India three days before, you would never do that for an Ashes series.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cYou would never go to Australia three days before the Gabba, so why are you going three days before Hyderabad. It\u2019s player power, that\u2019s all it is,\u201d added Harmison.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In a sarcastic post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Stokes said, \"Good job we\u2019re going to Abu Dhabi for a training camp before we go to India for even more training before the 1st Test then isn\u2019t it.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Uncapped spinners Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley, along with pacer Gus Atkinson, have been named in England\u2019s 16-member Test squad. Teenage leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed returns to the Test squad after claiming a five-wicket haul on his debut in Pakistan last year.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He will be amongst the front-line spin options alongside Bashir, Hartley and Jack Leach. England\u2019s fast-bowling department includes Atkinson, James Anderson, Ollie Robinson, and Mark Wood, with Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes as wicketkeeper-batters.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
England Test squad: Ben Stokes (captain), Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root and Mark Wood<\/p>\r\n\r\n", "image": "https:\/\/img.cricketnmore.com\/uploads\/2023\/12\/were-going-to-abu-dhabi-for-training-camp-says-stokes-over-harmisons-criticism-on-india-tour-preparation.JPG", "alt_img": "'We\u2019re going to Abu Dhabi for training camp', says Stokes over Harmison\u2019s criticism on India tour pr", "alt_title": "Lucknow: Players of England during a practice session ahead of the ICC World Cup match", "image1": null, "video": null, "seo_title": "'We\u2019re Going To Abu Dhabi For Training Camp', Says Stokes Over Harmison\u2019s Criticism On India Tour Preparation On Cricketnmore", "seo_desc": "'We\u2019re Going To Abu Dhabi For Training Camp', Says Stokes Over Harmison\u2019s Criticism On India Tour Preparation, An England Lions: England Test captain Ben Stokes has hit back at former fast-bowler Steve Harmison\u2019s criticism over England\u2019s preparation.", "seo_keywords": "Ben Stokes, England Test, Steve Harmison, Abu Dhabi, If England, An England Lions, Brendon McCullum, Sir Alastair, Rob Key, Shoaib Bashir, Tom Hartley, Gus Atkinson, Rehan Ahmed, Jack Leach, James Anderson, Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood, Jonny Bairstow, Ben", "tag": "", "tagging": "Ben Stokes, England Test, Steve Harmison, Abu Dhabi, If England, An England Lions, Brendon McCullum, Sir Alastair, Rob Key, Shoaib Bashir, Tom Hartley, Gus Atkinson, Rehan Ahmed, Jack Leach, James Anderson, Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood, Jonny Bairstow", "status": "1", "img_rpt": "0", "google": "1", "standout": "0", "edapps": "0", "pulse": "0", "no_index": "0", "feed": "0", "fixture": null, "slug": "were-going-to-abu-dhabi-for-training-camp-says-stokes-over-harmisons-criticism-on-india-tour-preparation", "user_id": "0", "read_count": "0", "ians_date": null, "ians_time": null, "server_time": null, "trash": "0", "view_count": "796", "page_break": "0", "instant_articles": "1", "auto_link": "1", "created": "2023-12-28 16:06:05", "updated": "2023-12-28 16:06:05", "img_from": "Image Source: IANS", "img_source": null, "schedule_publish": null, "news_keywords": "Ben Stokes, England Test, Steve Harmison, Abu Dhabi, If England, An England Lions, Brendon McCullum, Sir Alastair, Rob Key, Shoaib Bashir, Tom Hartley, Gus Atkinson, Rehan Ahmed, Jack Leach, James Anderson, Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood, Jonny Bairstow, Ben", "livescore_text": null, "livescore_link": null, "btn_text": null, "resend_feed": "1", "google_feed": "1", "read_more": "0", "posted_by": "23", "jio_date": "2023-12-28 16:06:05", "scheduled": "0", "news_now": "1", "breaking_news": "1", "google_date": null, "featured": "0", "pred_match_id": null, "article_content_type": null, "link": "https:\/\/www.cricketnmore.com\/cricket-news\/were-going-to-abu-dhabi-for-training-camp-says-stokes-over-harmisons-criticism-on-india-tour-preparation-134932" }