Former England player Geoffrey Boycott has slammed Joe Root and his teammates for their poor performance following England’s thrashing in the Boxing Day Test and subsequent Ashes series loss. He believes that the tourists have consistently failed to learn from their blunders, losing following a three-day surrender in the third Test in Melbourne.
The batting line-up, which was heavily reliant on Root, has crumbled in all three Tests so far. The fielders have also failed to assist the bowlers, resulting in dropped chances. After all the losses, Root assured that the team had identified their mistakes and would bounce back. However, contrary to what Root says in interviews, Boycott wrote in his Telegraph column that England hasn’t recovered from a “poor day at the office.”
He said, “Many of us are tired of these interviews where Joe says England will learn from a bad day or Joe says he expects a response after a poor performance. We have had enough of this rubbish. Stop treating us ex-players and cricket supporters as idiots.”
Several cricket legends and former England players such as Nasser Hussain, Steve Harmison and Kevin Pietersen have all branded the captaincy as ‘abysmal’ or ‘shocking.’ The 81-year-old also adds that Root’s squad selection and decision-making have been inexcusably incorrect. He cited the example of a seamer-friendly wicket in Brisbane wherein they won the toss and batted first. With this England batting lineup, it was always a danger.
“Joe Root’s captaincy lacks imagination,” he added.
Root has led England in eight games in Australia but has failed to win a Test match as captain. Furthermore, in three efforts as captain, the right-handed batter has failed to win an Ashes series, raising many questions on the embarrassing performance Down Under. The magnitude of England’s thrashing, according to Boycott, leaves them with no choice but to move on from Root’s leadership.
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