Cook's brain scrambled - Boycott

Image
AFP Perth
Last Updated : Dec 11 2013 | 12:41 PM IST
England great Geoffrey Boycott today blasted captain Alastair Cook's "scrambled brain" and said the team needed to use more common sense to prevent yet another defeat to Australia.
Boycott has been shocked by England's lacklustre efforts during the Ashes tour and laid some of the blame at Cook's feet, saying he appeared frustrated and worn down by the Australian attack.
"Australia have worked Alastair out," Boycott said in a column for the West Australian newspaper.
"They give him nothing to score off his legs or hip and they are winning the battle."
The plain-speaking Boycott could barely contain his anger at Cook's second-innings dismissal in Adelaide for one, when he needed to get a big score.
"Here was our captain, who is supposed to set the tone, hooking Mitchell Johnson down fine leg's throat in the second over of the day, which shows his brain is scrambled," he said.
"We have some serious problems," Boycott added.
He pointed out that half of England's dismissals during the Ashes had come from bad shots, with their second-innings 312 at Adelaide the first time they have passed 200 in the series.
"What they have to work out is how they are going to get some pride back in the team," the former opening batsman said.
"They cannot do that unless they bat with more common sense and stop gifting wickets away.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Dec 11 2013 | 12:41 PM IST

Next Story