NEW DELHI: Geoffrey Boycott launched a scathing attack on England after they suffered an embarrassing eight-wicket loss inside two days in the first Ashes Test against Australia in Perth on Saturday.
Travis Head came out all guns blazing and took the England bowlers to the cleaners, smashing a century off 69 deliveries after being promoted to open the innings when Usman Khawaja was injured.
Set 205 to win, Head plundered 123 from 83 balls, clobbering boundaries to all parts of the ground as he hit the rope 16 times and cleared it on four occasions. Australian media reported it was the first time since 1921 that an Ashes Test was won in two days.
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"Before this series started Ben Stokes told the world that any ex-players who criticised England or had a different opinion were "has-beens" because Test cricket had changed and the past was irrelevant," Boycott wrote in a column for The Telegraph.
"Well, from this has-been the message is simple: when you keep throwing away Test matches by doing the same stupid things it is impossible to take you seriously.
"They never learn, because they never listen to anyone outside their own bubble, because they truly believe their own publicity."
Boycott, regarded as one of England's finest opening batsmen, was known for patiently building his innings, reflected in his modest career strike rate of around 35. His method is the exact opposite of the aggressive 'Bazball' approach.
Therefore, it's only natural that much of his criticism focuses on what he sees as a lack of batting discipline from the current side.
"Brainless batting and bowling lost England the match," Boycott continued.
"A 40-run lead on a fast, bouncy, low-scoring pitch was huge and, with Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope together at one stage, England were in charge at effectively 100 for one. But as exciting as this England team can be, they are always only a blink of an eye away from self-destruction.
"Chasing balls away from your body on fast, bouncy pitches is fraught with danger. It's like Russian roulette. Save those shots for low, slow surfaces where the odds are in a batsman’s favour.
"When the Aussies get stuck for a wicket all they have to do is go fishing. Dangle the bait and wait for a bite. Our lot can't resist.
"Bazball, bad judgment, overconfidence, whatever the reason, it makes winning matches difficult. Against top teams like India and Australia it is a huge factor in losing."
