Geoffrey Boycott Critiques England's Leadership After Heavy Defeat to India

Boycott's Strong Criticism of England's Performance

Renowned former England cricketer Geoffrey Boycott has expressed his discontent with the team's management following their staggering 336-run loss to India in the second Test at Edgbaston. In a pointed column for a leading publication, the 83-year-old criticized the continued selection of Zak Crawley and Chris Woakes, labeling these choices as 'counter-productive.'

Concerns Over Crawley's Performance

Having scored over 8,000 runs in Test cricket at an impressive average of 47.72, Boycott raised doubts about Crawley's ability to adapt, despite having played 56 Tests. He remarked,

“I don’t think he can change or get better. Batting is in the head, and the brain dictates how you approach batting: what shots you attempt, what balls you leave. His faults in technique and thinking are ingrained.”

Crawley has only managed 88 runs in four innings during the current series, with a highest score of 65. He faced dismissals by Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna in the Leeds Test, and by Siraj in Edgbaston. While Boycott acknowledged Crawley's initial restraint at Headingley, he criticized his subsequent lack of discipline, stating,

“The two shots he got out to at Edgbaston [in the second Test] were awful. In the first innings, his feet got stuck in cement—neither forward nor back—and then he wafted at the ball to be caught at slip.”

He further added,

“In the second innings, he batted on off stump and drove at a well-pitched-up ball two feet wide. He did not need to play it. He was on nought, had been fielding for five sessions, and his legs were tired, so should have been thinking about surviving that evening.”

Woakes Under Fire for Lack of Impact

Boycott also directed his criticism towards Chris Woakes, questioning his continued presence in the team given his limited effectiveness. Woakes has taken only three wickets in two Tests and went wicketless during India's commanding innings at Edgbaston. Boycott stated,

“It is counter-productive to keep the same guys in the team when they are past their sell-by date or not doing enough.”

He highlighted Woakes' declining pace and lack of success overseas, asserting,

“He has never been a wicket-taker abroad.”

While Woakes has occasionally contributed with lower-order runs, Boycott emphasized that bowlers should prioritize taking wickets rather than being viewed as backup batsmen, stating,

“His job should not be to shore up bad batting. Batsmen are there to score runs, and bowlers need to take wickets.”

Currently, the series stands at 1–1 after India's historic victory at Edgbaston.