File image of Brendon McCallum (center).©AFP
Former England cricketer Geoffrey Boycott has slammed the England cricket team’s batsmen as “flat-track bullies” following their 2-1 series defeat against Pakistan. After winning the first Test in Multan, England lost the second and third Tests, exposing a clear weakness against spin bowling. All 40 of England’s wickets in the second and third Tests were taken by spinners, with Sajid Khan and Noman Ali taking a total of 39 wickets. Boycott was harshly critical of England’s batting and the aggressive “buzz ball” approach to batting practiced by coach Brendon McCullum.
“England are a bullish team with a flat track against good batting… spinning pitches require adjustment,” Boycott wrote in a column for the British edition of the Telegraph.
Boycott used the example of Harry Brook to emphasize his point. After scoring a stunning triple hundred in the first Test, Brooke’s form took a brutal nose dive.
“A perfect example is Brook. He scored a brilliant 317 in the first Test, but in the next four innings he was naive and thoughtless against spin, scoring a total of 56,” Boycott said. is writing.
After piling up 823 in the first Test, England failed to cross 300 again in any innings in the second and third Tests. In both innings of the last two Tests, England were defeated by a total of less than 150 runs (144 and 112).
Boycott expressed concern that these results would be quickly forgotten, as England’s next tour of the subcontinent will be three years later in 2027.
“The saddest thing is that England haven’t played on a spinning pitch in India or Pakistan for almost three years, so our players are quickly in a position to be hailed by some supporters as the best batsmen England has ever had. I’ll be back. That’s all I’m saying. You’re kidding,” Boycott wrote.
With the series loss, England are now sixth in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle table, with their chances of making it to the WTC finals significantly lower.
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