Ian Botham criticises England’s Bazball strategy after Perth defeat

Ian Botham has criticised England’s aggressive ‘Bazball’ strategy, urging Ben Stokes and his team to rethink their approach following their crushing defeat in Perth. The English side was completely dominated by Travis Head‘s brilliance, with Australia finishing the game in just two days and secured an eight-wicket victory.

England’s Bazball strategy faced more criticism after the defeat, with Michael Vaughan and Ravichandran Ashwin describing it as reckless. Now, Ian Botham has labelled the approach as “horrendous.” Botham emphasised that England must quickly adjust and move away from Bazball if they are to turn things around.

“It was horrendous, there’s no other way to describe it,” Botham told PA News Agency.
“England need to get their act together, and fast. I’m tired of hearing, ‘this is how we play.’ If I hear it again, I might just throw something at the TV.”

Botham issued a stark warning, suggesting that if England don’t alter their approach, the series could very well end 5-0.

“If that’s how they intend to play, they might as well head home now because it’s going to end 5-0. They probably won’t like me saying that, but it’s the reality. They need to get their heads in the game. I want to see more pride when they wear the jersey,” he added.

Botham also urged Joe Root and Ben Stokes to raise their performances or their legacies could be at risk.

“People will remember you for your achievements here,” he mentioned.

“Joe and Ben are both world-class players – Joe has 39 centuries, but they’re eager to leave their mark here. The only way to do that is by winning. They need to get the monkey off their back.”