The legendary Ian Botham lambasted England's lacklustre performance and expressed his frustration over the team's philosophy of playing ultra-aggressive cricket, even when the need of the hour is to grind
it out. His remarks come after the Three Lions were defeated inside two days in the first Ashes Test at the Optus Stadium in Perth.
Botham mentioned that England need to pull their socks up quickly and look to turn things around against the strong Australian side. The tourists are looking to reclaim the coveted Ashes urn for the first time since 2015.
"It was horrendous, there's no other word for it. England need to fire up and fire up quickly. I'm fed up of hearing, 'this is the way we play'. If I hear it once more, I think I'll throw something at the television," Botham told PA News Agency.
Botham also warned the England team that it could be whitewashed 0-5 in the five-match series if it didn't alter their approach.
"If that's the way you play, you might as well go home now because it's going to be 5-0. They probably won't like me saying that but they need to need to get their heads around it. I want more pride when I see people pulling that sweater on," said Botham.
People remember you for what you’ve done over here: Botham
Botham said that Joe Root and Ben Stokes will be desperate to win in Australia as this could be their last appearance Down Under. The cricketer-turned-commentator stated that if Root and Stokes go empty-handed from the ongoing Ashes tour, it will leave an indelible stain on their legacies.
“People remember you for what you’ve done over here. In Joe and Ben we’ve got two world-class players – Joe’s got 39 hundreds for goodness sake – but they are desperate to make an impression here. You can only do that by winning. They need to get the monkey off their back," Botham said.
“They are the two who will want this the most because a lot of the others will get another bite at the cherry. I can tell you from experience, winning over here feels really, really good and it means absolute respect. I don’t have a favourite time because every time you beat Australia is a great day. That alone should drive England," he added.
The much-awaited second Test between Australia and England gets underway on Thursday, December 4, at The Gabba in Brisbane.
