Kevin Pietersen launched a scathing evaluation of England’s urge for food to fight spin after their inadequacies have been uncovered on a disastrous white-ball tour of India.
England slumped to a 142-run defeat in Ahmedabad as India accomplished a sequence whitewash with victory within the third ODI.
It was the seventh defeat of a chastening eight-game tour for Jos Buttler’s aspect, who head into the Champions Trophy in Pakistan bereft of type and confidence.
Joe Root is known to have been the one participant to partake in a nets session forward of the third ODI, with different members of the squad reportedly favouring a spherical of golf.
Sky Sports activities Information understands the crew educated earlier than the primary ODI and practised a number of instances throughout the previous T20 sequence.
Nevertheless, attributable to journey commitments, protecting gamers recent and harm issues, the crew didn’t practice earlier than the second and third ODIs.
With England crumbling from 126-2 to 214 all out in 34.2 overs towards India’s spinners on Wednesday, Pietersen couldn’t fathom how the chance to enhance towards spin was not seized.
Dwell ICC Champions Trophy Cricket
Dwell ICC Champions Trophy Cricket
Wednesday nineteenth February 8:30am
‘Have your days off in England!’
“You have a major tournament coming up in the Champions Trophy, and from what we have heard, one batter has had a net in the last week or two: Root, the one batter who probably doesn’t need one!” he stated on Star Sports activities.
“Tom Banton arrived two days ago from the UAE, and he was on the golf course yesterday, he wasn’t batting. Where have the issues come? None of them can play spin. And how do you improve playing spin? In the nets!”
Former India captain and coach Ravi Shastri, who was co-commentating alongside Pietersen added: “If you’re not prepared to do the hard yards, you’re not going to improve.”
When requested after the match that Shastri was underneath the impression England had solely had “one net session the entire trip”, captain Jos Buttler disputed that assumption.
“I’m not sure that’s quite true to be honest,” Buttler stated. “It’s been a reasonably long tour with a few long travel days.
“There’s been a few instances the place we have not educated, however we have actually completed loads of coaching by way of the tour.
“We obviously try to create a really good environment, but don’t mistake that for a lazy environment or a lack of effort. The guys are desperate to perform and do well and improve.”
Earlier than Buttler’s response, former England captain Pietersen was vital of the obvious lack of time on the bottom between matches from the touring aspect.
“I never played golf when I played cricket,” he stated. “I was in the nets hitting thousands of balls, trying to make improvements here in the sub-continent. Have your days off in England.
“England shall be bitterly upset, however they’ve solely received themselves in charge. The margin of defeat received greater and larger. Considering caps have to go on in a short time. If you happen to do not apply, you do not enhance.
England’s depressing white-ball tour was rounded off with a 142-run drubbing by India within the third one-day worldwide in Ahmedabad
“The sub-continent is where you learn the art of being able to play these guys, by playing all sorts of spinners in the nets. These guys love bowling to foreign batters, you’ve got thousands of little kids wanting to bowl to an England team.
“That is the place you be taught, not in England, the place these gamers have grown up and are snug. England ought to be spending hours within the nets and leaving India pondering they’re much higher gamers of spin.
“I’ve been on tours when we have lost every single game, but I have left knowing there are players that have improved the way they played and thought about spin because they had done the hard yards in the nets.
“It could not change the outcomes now however, goodness me, it’d change the end in Lahore in a number of weeks time whenever you’re taking part in spin nicely and higher.”
‘Results do matter’ – KP responds to Duckett
Ben Duckett stated victory within the Champions Trophy would paper over England’s poor white-ball tour of India
Pietersen was equally scathing of Ben Duckett’s feedback on the eve of the match in Ahmedabad wherein he stated a 3-0 sequence whitewash wouldn’t matter if England went on to win the Champions Trophy.
“Those words should be frowned upon,” the previous England captain added. “I sort of understand his reasoning saying that losing to India would mean absolutely nothing if they win the Champions Trophy.
“I hope that England can activate that faucet and flick that swap that allows all their batters to get tons of and their bowlers to get wickets, as a result of it is fairly an announcement of what that dressing room thinks.
“But if they think that just here in India, they can just turn up it doesn’t matter… The results do matter. You’re playing for your country. You’ve got many cricketers in England who would love to be in your position and would love to come to India, would love to play in front of these crowds.
“It is stuff that I as an ex-player, want that I nonetheless had. I want I may nonetheless play in entrance of those crowds. So, whenever you hear statements like that, it simply actually is disappointing.”
England begin their Champions Trophy campaign against Australia in Lahore on Febraury 22 before facing Afghanistan at the same venue four days later and then South Africa in Karachi on March 1.
Have England completed too little within the nets?
Former England wicketkeeper Matt Prior, talking on TNT Sports activities:
“It’s very easy to sit here now and say they should be in the nets every minute of the day working hard, and what’s this golf rubbish. I’m sure there will be people sat at home fiercely frustrated by watching England lose time and time again.
“Your preliminary response to listening to they’ve had one internet session on this complete ODI sequence, and that one batsman was Joe Root is ‘hold on a second’. You’ve got received younger batsmen struggling for runs, why are they not going within the nets working arduous.
“India as a nation loves cricket. When you turn up at nets there are literally 40 kids that want to bowl at you all day long. If you wanted to get your kit on and bat for six hours against spin, you have that opportunity to work on your game.
“Now we have to be balanced as nicely, it has been a protracted tour, there was a number of time away, the journey is a component. Particularly if you find yourself shedding, you can’t take away all components of enjoyable and beast your self.
“But as a young team rebuilding, an opportunity to build for a Champions Trophy in the sub-continent, you should be in the nets, you should be working on your game trying to improve yourself.”
Joe Root and Tom Banton have been a part of an England batting collapse that noticed six wickets fall for 49 runs as they fell to a different heavy defeat in India within the third ODI
Finn: You’ll be able to compound unhealthy habits within the nets
Former England quick bowler Steven Finn warned extended nets periods can often have an hostile impact, citing his experiences throughout the 2013/14 Ashes tour in Australia.
“I think you can compound bad habits in the nets before going to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy [later this month] where spin is not as prevalent as it is in India,” he informed TNT Sports activities.
“I am not infuriated at them not practising in this series as we know McCullum has the philosophy of taking pressure off players.
“On my 2013/14 Ashes tour I made every little thing sophisticated by practising extra. The extra I did that, the more severe I received and it took me 18 months to untangle the garbage I put inside my head.”
England in India results 🏏
Watch every match from the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy live on Sky Sports between February 19 and March 9 or stream with NOW.
