Brendon McCullum bizarrely claimed England were “training too much” ahead of the second Ashes Test in Brisbane amid fierce criticism of their preparations in Australia.
Lord Botham, Sir Geoffrey Boycott and Michael Vaughan were among the former players who questioned England having just one warm-up match before starting the series with a two-day defeat in Perth.
England’s decision not to send some of their top figures to a pink-ball tune-up in Canberra last weekend also raised eyebrows and their hopes of regaining the urn now hang by a thread after an eight-wicket loss at the Gabba.
McCullum, whose forwards now head to Noosa on Tuesday for a break before the must-win third Test in Adelaide in a fortnight, hinted England were mentally jaded in Brisbane after overexerting themselves in the nets.
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Intense
Asked if he would have done anything differently, the England head coach told the BBC’s Test Match Special: “Not from a preparation point of view. If anything, we probably trained too much.”
“We had five intensive training sessions prior to the match and that is something that as a coach you have to make sure you are aware of.
“Sometimes there is a tendency to want to do exaggerated things to make up for it.”
He added on Australia’s Channel 7: “I actually feel like we’ve prepared too well, to be honest.
“Sometimes, when you’re in the heat of battle, the most important thing is to feel a little fresh and make sure your top two inches are completely healthy.
“I think the guys just need a few days off and we probably need to change a few training methods.”
(Robbie Stephenson/PA)
Spot
McCullum’s comments were ridiculed on social media and former England captain Kevin Pietersen appeared incredulous, quoting the New Zealander before writing on X: “Crikey Baz.”
Before McCullum addressed the media on Sunday, Botham delivered scathing criticism of their efforts.
The former all-rounder told Australian radio station Triple M Cricket: “If I was an England supporter and paid the money to come here, I would ask the ECB for a refund because in my eyes this team is not prepared.”
England have not beaten Australia since 2015, although Ben Stokes’ side came from 2-0 down to claim a 2-2 draw on home soil two years ago, and McCullum insisted they would not panic this time.
He said on TMS: “We’ve been here before and we’ll have to make sure we stay tight as a group and smooth out some of the cracks we showed in the last two Test matches.
“It’s very difficult to beat Australia at home if you fall short in all three areas. We have some work to do.
“There’s no point in feeling sorry for yourself, you pick yourself up and you go again.”
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