Should England Batters Stop Throwing Away Their Wickets?

New Delhi, July 15 (NationPress) Former England legend Geoffrey Boycott has sharply criticized the English top order, urging them to abandon the Bazball philosophy and adopt a more disciplined batting approach following their recent Test defeat against India.

In his column for the Daily Telegraph, Boycott did not hold back, condemning the reckless aggressive shots played by numerous English batsmen, particularly targeting Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope for harsh scrutiny.

“Stop giving your wicket away to reckless aggressive shots because you can perform better, and England expects more from you,” he stated. “Coach Brendon McCullum has recently indicated that England needs to refine their batting strategy and not dwell on Bazball. So there are no excuses left.”

Known for his blunt opinion, Boycott questioned Crawley’s position in the squad, suggesting that it is time to reconsider the opener’s extended run due to ongoing failures. “How many more opportunities will Crawley receive? He has gained nothing in his 57 Tests,” he remarked.

“A careless waft in the first innings led to a catch behind, and a front-foot drive in the second innings resulted in another dismissal to a wide ball caught at gully. It’s just a repeat of too many of his dismissals. It’s time to move on. Five centuries and an average of 31 are simply not sufficient.”

Boycott also placed Ollie Pope under scrutiny, accusing him of adhering too rigidly to the aggressive Bazball approach. “His issue is that when he first comes in, he’s overly active, fidgety, like a cat on a hot tin roof. Pope starts like he’s already scored a century,” Boycott noted.

“Initially, the captain and coach promoted Bazball to all players, and Ollie seems to have completely embraced it, eager to prove he’s a disciple. Maybe he feels he must play positively and aggressively, or else risk losing his spot.”

In a relevant piece of advice, Boycott encouraged Pope to take cues from England’s most dependable batsman. “He should revert to fundamental batting, assessing the scenario and batting accordingly instead of rigidly following an ideology or trying to meet the perceived expectations of the captain and coach. Look at Joe Root. Joe plays his own game and scores runs, making him the best batsman globally.”

Speculation within England’s cricketing community suggests that Pope could be replaced by young talent Jacob Bethell, while Crawley may remain. Boycott expressed anger over this notion. “I’ve heard discussions about dropping Ollie Pope for Jacob Bethell. Pope has performed better for England than Crawley. In 59 Tests, he has an average of 35 with 10 centuries. Yes, with his skill, it should be higher, but he has played several remarkable innings to secure wins for England.”

Boycott concluded with a cautionary note about the essential role of a No. 3 batsman and how Crawley’s presence at the top affects the middle order. “A number three is part opening batsman if an early wicket falls and part middle order… able to play strokes after a strong start by the openers. There’s little chance of that with Crawley leading the charge. Number three is a highly specialized role. Most opposing bowlers eagerly anticipate bowling at him. Can you imagine what the Australian seamers are thinking about this winter’s Ashes series? If Starc doesn’t get you, Hazlewood and Cummins will.”