Former Australian pacer Brett Geeves opined on England’s first-innings declaration in the recently concluded first Ashes Test at Edgbaston. The former cricketer, who has played only three white-ball games for Australia, felt their approach was highly disrespectful and arrogant towards the game and the opponent as well. Notably, England declared their first innings at 393-8 on Day 1, despite Joe Root batting on 118 and they eventually lost as well.

Speaking to Sen Radio, the 41-year-old said: “It (Bazball) sets them (England) up to fail and to me it kind of feels like ‘even if we lose we’re playing the best cricket and we have won anyway. That’s not how it works. Particularly against Australia in the Ashes. There was (an) article that I was reading that quotes Brendon McCullum in terms of their loss. It is just a really disrespectful approach to the performances of Pat Cummins and the performance of the run chase and their ability to hold England to 276 in the best batting conditions of the game.”

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However, England were marginally ahead after having a seven-run first-innings lead, they set Australia a stiff target of 281 as well. The hosts then reduced Australia to 227-8 in their run chase and seemed to be heading towards a comfortable win in the final session on Day 5. But an unbeaten 55-run ninth-wicket partnership between Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon sealed the deal.

Brett Geeves said, “Australia’s still got some improvement. They’ll get a little bit more out of their batting list as the series progresses and strategically if they can get their mindset right from a fielding and strategy standpoint, I think they are going to do very well.”

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“In particular if England have this mindset of wild arrogance and that’s what that declaration was. It was wildly arrogant to think that (8/393) was enough in the first innings on a very flat wicket. It’s because of the arrogance surrounding their approach to the game. You don’t do that across a five-day game when Joe Root is 118 not out,” Geeves concluded.

The second Test of the ongoing Ashes series will begin at Lord’s on Wednesday, June 28.