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England cricket legend Ian Botham has launched a scathing attack on team’s senior players after their heavy defeat in the first Ashes Test in Perth, bluntly declaring they “might as well go home now” if they refuse to abandon their reckless batting approach. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!England haven’t won an Ashes series in Australia after losing the opener since the 1950s, yet coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes remain convinced their ultra-aggressive ‘Bazball’ blueprint will eventually crack Australia’s fortress. But Botham insists blind faith in the method has crossed into dangerous stubbornness.
“It (Perth) was horrendous, there’s no other word for it,” the 70-year-old told PA News Agency, urging the visitors to adopt patience ahead of the second Test in Brisbane. “I’m sick of hearing, ‘This is the way we play’. If I hear it once more, I think I’ll throw something. If that’s the way you play, you might as well go home now because it’s going to be 5–0 to Australia. They probably won’t like me saying that, but they need to get their heads around it. I want more pride when I see people pulling that sweater on.”England have recovered from slow starts before — famously overturning a 1-0 deficit against South Africa in 2022 and drawing the 2023 Ashes after trailing 2-0 — but Botham believes the challenge is steeper this time. And Australia are preparing to hit even harder.
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Will England adopt a more patient batting strategy in the second Test?
Skipper Pat Cummins, seen training with the pink ball on Tuesday, is pushing for a return at the Gabba, where he has taken 43 pink-ball wickets at 17.34, including a career-best 6-23 in 2019. There is also a selection question over Nathan Lyon, one wicket away from Glenn McGrath’s tally of 563, though his role may again be limited on seamer-friendly surfaces.With England’s high-risk batting reducing the chances of Tests stretching to Day Five — typically a spinner’s paradise — the pressure is mounting. For Stokes’ men, Brisbane may already feel like a must-win.
