Geoffrey Boycott Critiques England's Performance in Ashes 2025
Boycott's Harsh Assessment of England's Defeat
Geoffrey Boycott, the former England captain and now a commentator, expressed his disappointment with the Ben Stokes-led team after their 8-wicket loss in the Pink-Ball Test of the Ashes 2025 against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane on December 7.
The second Test concluded in just four days, a stark contrast to the two-day match in Perth. England struggled significantly, being dismissed for 241 in their second innings. A notable partnership of 96 runs between Ben Stokes (50) and Will Jacks (41) for the seventh wicket was not enough to set a challenging target of 65 runs.
Australia swiftly chased down the modest target in just 10 overs, with Steve Smith scoring 23 runs off 9 balls, including a six that clinched the victory, leaving England trailing 0-2 in the five-match series.
Criticism of England's 'Horror Show'
Boycott did not hold back in his criticism of England's performance, labeling it a 'horror show' and calling their batting and bowling 'irresponsible'. He warned that if the team continues this way, they will not win the Ashes.
"Brisbane was a horror show: irresponsible batting, bowling too short, too wide or too full, and dropped catches," Boycott stated in his column.
"With this kind of performance, they couldn't win an egg cup, let alone the Ashes urn," he added.
England's Struggles in the Series
Throughout the ongoing Ashes series, England has been dismissed twice in both Tests, failing to achieve competitive totals. This has allowed Australia to dominate and highlight England's weaknesses. In the first innings, England's bowlers, apart from Jofra Archer, lacked discipline, and five catches were dropped, enabling Australia to score 511 runs and gain a 117-run lead.
England has not won an Ashes series since 2015 and has not secured a victory in Australia since the 2010-11 tour.
Boycott Questions England's Strategy
Boycott expressed skepticism regarding Ben Stokes' claim that England had been devising a 'blueprint' for the Australia tour for four years, dismissing it as nonsense. He criticized the team's insular approach, stating, "What a load of bulls---. We can't believe anything Ben or his team say. None of them wants to listen to anyone outside of their own camp."
"They are convinced that Test cricket has changed so much that only they understand the modern game," he remarked.
Upcoming Challenges for England
Currently, England faces the daunting task of winning the remaining matches in the Ashes series to end their decade-long wait for the urn. Following consecutive losses in Perth and Brisbane, they must regroup for the third Test at the Adelaide Oval, where their record is poor, having won only 9 out of 33 matches.
Changes to the playing XI are anticipated, particularly in the bowling department, to address the issues that have plagued them. Mark Wood's participation remains uncertain due to injury, raising concerns about the pace attack. Brydon Carse, who had a challenging outing in the first innings, may be replaced by Josh Tongue to strengthen the bowling lineup.
The question remains whether England can mentally regroup and deliver a more disciplined performance to keep their Ashes hopes alive in Adelaide.