Geoffrey Boycott slammed ‘bloody stupid’ England after they suffered an emphatic defeat to Australia in the opening Ashes Test.
Joe Root’s side slipped to a nine-wicket defeat at the Gabba as Australia took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series as they look to reclaim the Ashes.
England were bowled out for just 147 in 50.1 overs on day one of the Test as new Baggy Greens skipper Pat Cummins took five wickets after Root won the toss and opted to bat first.
Australia responded to England’s disappointing effort with 425 – Travis Head scoring 152, David Warner 94 and Marnus Labuschagne 74 – to secure a huge first-innings lead.
England improved with the bat in their second innings – Root and Dawid Malan scoring 89 and 82 respectively – but only made 297 as Australia clinched a routine win in Queensland.
Boycott believes England’s planning for the Ashes was ‘all wrong’ and has questioned why James Anderson and Stuart Broad were both left out of the opening Test.
‘If both Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad don’t play [in the second Test] then what is the point of them being in the squad?’ he wrote in a column for the Daily Telegraph.
‘The captain and coach keep telling us how good they are and how many wickets they have taken.
‘I agree they have been magnificent for England with outstanding performances so if they are fit they have to play. If they keep getting injured then they are a luxury England can’t afford.
‘One is 39 and the other 35. Keeping them in the squad out of sentiment on big-money salary is madness. Either they play or move on without them.’
Boycott sympathised with England spinner Jack Leach during the Ashes opener. The 30-year-old took 1-102 from his 13 overs, receiving punishment from the likes of Warner and Labuschagne.
‘Jack Leach hadn’t played a Test match for nine months since early March in India,’ Boycott added.
‘He didn’t get a game during the English summer as England played lots of seamers – and then suddenly they expected Jack to bowl well in Brisbane.
‘No wonder the Aussies went after him and in 13 overs he was whacked for 102 runs. I felt for the lad. Not his fault.
‘Why are we so bloody stupid? We make it extra difficult before we even start the series.’
Boycott also said it was foolish to think that returning all-rounder Ben Stokes would be England’s ‘messiah’ following his lengthy break from the sport.
Stokes was making his first Test appearance in nine months at the Gabba and only contributed 19 runs and bowled 12 wicketless and expensive overs.
Boycott said: ‘Ben Stokes needed to play more cricket. All the hype that he’s back and what he brings to the dressing room is b******s.
‘He is not a messiah. He can’t bat and bowl for everyone. My experience tells me when you are out in the middle, batting or bowling, each player has to do his own thing.
‘You are on your own with decisions to make about where to bowl or what shot to play. Ben hasn’t played for five months, had a finger operation and rain ruined his practice.
‘Then his first knock was on a testing pitch against, in my view, the two best seam bowlers in the world – Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.
‘That would be tough for any batsman in good form. Too many players expected some magic from our talismanic all-rounder.’
The Adelaide Oval hosts the second Ashes Test, a day-night match starting on Thursday morning.
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