Overview:
England great Geoffrey Boycott slammed the Stokes-led team, criticising every single player.
England are 0-2 down against Australia in the five-match series, and it is looking tough for them to stage a comeback in the Ashes 2025-26. Captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum are under scrutiny for the poor showing, and critics are targeting the two for their Bazball philosophy. England great Geoffrey Boycott slammed the Stokes-led team, criticising every single player.
After losing the series opener by 8 wickets in two days, the visitors were again humiliated by the hosts by 8 wickets at the Gabba. In his column for The Telegraph, Boycott wrote that England need a miracle to stage a comeback after the tourists’ shortcomings in the six days of cricket. “It was a horror show in Brisbane with batters showing no responsibility. The bowlers bowled short, and the catches were dropped. With this sort of batting and bowling, they can’t win an egg cup, forget about the Ashes urn,” he said.
Boycott said that England had been preparing to beat Australia for four years, but they had failed to do so. He is surprised that Stokes and his players don’t want to listen to the advice given by someone outside their group.
“We can’t believe what Ben and his players say. None of them wants to listen to the suggestions from outside of their camp,” he added.
He lambasted Stokes and McCullum for thinking that they had reinvented Test cricket.
“They think Test cricket has changed so much that they only know about the modern game. All we hear from the skipper is attack, and the coach, keep the faith,” he mentioned.
Boycott didn’t spare top order batters Ollie Pope and Harry Brook. “Harry has let the team down in tough situations. The penny has not dropped; maybe it never will. You need to sell your wickets dearly. Ollie has given it away several times. He is not willing to learn, and he never fails to disappoint.”
He also hit out at bowlers for their ordinary display. “We don’t bowl in the corridor of uncertainty. This has been our strength and not the short-pitched stuff.” For Boycott, Will Jacks is not a Test cricketer.
“He is not a Test cricketer. He is good at T20 cricket. Even my Mum could face his bowling with my proverbial stick of rhubarb.”