Former England opening batter Geoffrey Boycott has taken a dig at Joe Root’s comments after the visitors suffered a 4-1 Ashes series loss against Australia. The home team registered a five-wicket win at the SCG on Thursday after chasing down 160 runs.
Meanwhile, Joe Root recently said that every single English player has improved but Boycott begs to differ. Boycott questioned Zak Crawley’s technique after the English opener managed 273 runs in five Test matches at an average of 27.30. The former English batter also questioned Ben Duckett and Harry Brook for not grabbing their chances. Duckett scored 202 runs in the series whereas Brook could not convert his start into big totals.
Boycott wrote in his column for the Telegraph, “Root said “every single player has improved”. Really? Where? How? All I can say is Joe must be seeing things through rose-tinted spectacles. Zak Crawley’s technique has not improved. He still has a big gate when defending and flashes outside off stump. Ben Duckett has never learned how to leave the ball around off stump. Harry Brook has talent to die for but still gets himself out in tight situations instead of winning the match for England. “
Boycott slammed Jamie Smith’s first innings shot at the SCG and called it brainless after the wicket-keeper bat holed out to deep cover while trying to take the attack against Marnus Labuschagne.
“Jamie Smith has shot-playing ability but gives his wicket away under pressure with no thought for the state of the match. His dismissal in Sydney was brainless and is symptomatic of this squad of players. Mark Wood and Jofra Archer were cosseted for far too long. It was poor thinking by the bowling coaches and physios who thought that once Wood and Archer were declared fit they could turn up and perform well in Test matches.”
Furthermore, Boycott questioned captain Ben Stokes, head coach Brendon McCullum and director of cricket Rob Key after England’s Ashes loss.
“England’s three wise men turned out to be the three stooges. Brendon McCullum, Rob Key and Ben Stokes sold a lie for three years. McCullum and Key said they had been planning for the Ashes all that time but this was a slapstick tour riddled with mistakes and they deserved to lose 4-1. McCullum’s philosophy is do your own thing. Play without a care in the world. Express yourselves and if you get out, no problem, it’s not your fault,” wrote Boycott (via the aforementioned source).
England will next take on New Zealand in a Test series.
