The English cricket team has come under fire from former cricket legends for their new style of play in the ongoing second Ashes Test. The latest critic to join the chorus is Allan Wilkins, who expressed concerns and heavily criticized England’s batters for falling into the short-ball trap set by the Australian bowlers.
On the second day of the match, three English batsmen – Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, and Joe Root – succumbed to the short-ball tactic. Despite the presence of deep fielders for pull and hook shots, the English batters persisted with those strokes and paid the price by losing their wickets in quick succession.
ALSO READ: Nasser Hussain criticises England’s batting performance at Lord’s Test
Alan Wilkins raised questions about England’s approach, particularly criticizing their reliance on the “Bazball” style of play. He highlighted the alarming fact that four batters fell into the same trap of short-pitch bowling set by the opposition. Wilkins even contrasted the approach with that of former England player Geoffrey Boycott, implying that Boycott would have never carelessly thrown away his wicket in such a manner.
“Not even the best investors in the financial world put all their eggs in the same basket! What are @englandcricket doing? Duckett, Pope, Root, Brook? @GeoffreyBoycott would never have given his wicket away so cheaply! #Ashes #ENGvAUS,” Alan Wilkins wrote on Twitter.
Not even the best investors in the financial world put all their eggs in the same basket! What are @englandcricket doing? Duckett, Pope, Root, Brook?@GeoffreyBoycott would never have given his wicket away so cheaply! #Ashes #ENGvAUS
— Alan Wilkins (@alanwilkins22) June 30, 2023
When the third day of the Ashes Test began, England’s overnight pair, Ben Stokes and Harry Brook, couldn’t make a significant contribution. Stokes, unable to add to his overnight score, fell victim to Mitchell Starc’s skiddy short delivery, edging the ball to Green at gully for a catch. Shortly after, Harry Brook became the fourth player to fall into the Australian bowlers’ trap, attempting to pull a short-pitched delivery from Starc and offering an easy catch to Pat Cummins at deep cover.
WATCH – Shaheen Afridi’s Record-Shattering Opening Spell Makes T20 Blast History
As a result of the consecutive wicket losses on Day 3, England finished their innings on 325, handing Australia a substantial lead of 91 runs in the second Ashes Test. The dominant performance from the Australian team has put England on the back foot and has raised concerns about their batting approach.
England will need to reassess their strategy and find a way to counter the Australian short-ball tactics if they hope to regain control in the remaining days of the Test. The Ashes series continues to provide captivating cricket with both teams vying for supremacy.
