Boycott Criticises England's Bazball After Pakistan Loss

Former England cricketer Geoffrey Boycott criticised England’s batting approach following their 2-1 Test series defeat to Pakistan. After a strong start with a win in Multan, England struggled on spin-friendly pitches in the second and third Tests, leading to losses in both. Pakistan’s spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali claimed 39 of England’s 40 wickets across these Tests, revealing England’s vulnerability against spin.

Boycott called England’s players “flat track bullies,” arguing they excel on batting-friendly pitches but struggle on spinning ones. Highlighting Harry Brook’s performance as an example, Boycott noted that Brook scored 317 in the first Test but managed only 56 runs in his next four innings. England’s total of 823 runs in the first Test quickly dwindled as they failed to reach 300 in subsequent matches, with second-innings collapses of 144 and 112 in the last two Tests.

Boycott expressed concern that England’s struggles on spinning pitches would be overlooked, as their next tour to the subcontinent isn’t until 2027. He feared the team’s aggressive “Bazball” approach, led by coach Brendon McCullum, might be celebrated in familiar conditions but remains unproven in the subcontinent’s challenging spin environment.

The series loss places England sixth in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings, severely impacting their chances of reaching the WTC final.