All posts tagged: Geoffrey

‘Leopards don’t change their spots’: Geoffrey Boycott slams ECB over ‘worst Ashes tour’, warns England on sticking with Brendon McCullum | Cricket News

‘Leopards don’t change their spots’: Geoffrey Boycott slams ECB over ‘worst Ashes tour’, warns England on sticking with Brendon McCullum | Cricket News

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4 min readMar 24, 2026 12:21 PM IST Former England captain and legendary batter Geoffrey Boycott has slammed the ECB chief executive Richard Gould and managing director Rob Key for the review into England’s Ashes defeat earlier in the summer. The 85-year-old questioned the process behind concluding that head coach Brendon McCullum would continue in his role, adding that Gould and Key would not win too many supporters to keep the former New Zealand captain in the job. “The worst pre-planned Ashes tour in my lifetime, and nobody is held to account or to blame? In the famous words of John McEnroe: “You cannot be serious.” The review was done by Richard Gould, the England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive, who has never played county or Test match cricket, and he decided nobody is to blame.” “What planet is he on? Is he oblivious to what the majority of former England players and cricket journalists are saying? Gould says it will not be a popular decision to keep Brendon McCullum, and he is damn …

‘England’s three wise men turned out to be the three stooges’: Geoffrey Boycott

‘England’s three wise men turned out to be the three stooges’: Geoffrey Boycott

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Although it did seem like the result this time around would be different ahead of the Ashes, in the end, apart from the win in MCG, the script has remained the same for the most part. Australia thrashed England Down Under yet again. Former England cricketer Geoffrey Boycott slammed the Head Coach Brendon McCullum, Director of Cricket Rob Key, and skipper Ben Stokes. “England’s three wise men turned out to be the three stooges. Brendon McCullum, Rob Key and Ben Stokes sold a lie for three years. McCullum’s philosophy is do your own thing. Play without a care in the world. Nobody tells them off, no accountability, and nobody gets dropped, so they just keep doing the same daft things,” Boycott wrote in his column for the Telegraph. “Why should the players change, adapt, or improve if the coach and captain are okay with it? People are now getting fed up with this way of playing and if Key keeps backing McCullum to allow the players to continue making the same mistakes then his job …

The pitch had too much grass on it and failed the standard expected for a five-day Test: Geoffrey Boycott | Cricket News

The pitch had too much grass on it and failed the standard expected for a five-day Test: Geoffrey Boycott | Cricket News

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The fourth Test between Australia and England at the MCG finished in a couple of days. The wicket had plenty of grass on it, and the seamers could extract a lot out of the pitch, moving the ball both ways, making it impossible for the batters to score big runs. As a result, batters too started to play their shots, worried about that magic delivery that would come their way. Former England cricketer Geoffrey Boycott was critical of the MCG curator. “The pitch had too much grass on it and failed the standard expected for a five-day Test. Batting became a lottery and all the seam bowlers had to do was get the ball straight, on a full length and let that pitch do the rest for them,” Boycott wrote in his column in The Telegraph. “That is not good enough and the curator should be held to account by his bosses. No excuses are acceptable. Talk of him being worried about the very hot weather later in the Test will not wash, as it …

Geoffrey Boycott offers advice to Harry Brook ahead of Boxing Day Test match against Australia

Geoffrey Boycott offers advice to Harry Brook ahead of Boxing Day Test match against Australia

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Former England captain and legendary opener Sir Geoffrey Boycott has taken a dig at vice-captain Harry Brook for his batting style, calling him ‘a waste of talent’ and urging him not to give his wicket away as cheaply as he has done so far. Boycott said that nobody wished to see Brook curb his natural style of play, but he had been getting himself out so far rather than the bowler having earned his wicket. “What can you say to Harry Brook that will make him listen? He bats as if it is T20. The greatest run-scorer of any era was Don Bradman. He regularly scored faster than any other batsman in history. There have been occasional innings from various batsmen who scored faster in one-off innings but Bradman did it every time he played.” “Harry, nobody wants to rein you in or stop you playing your strokes because you are “box office” and you can win matches, but so far you flatter and then get yourself out. What a waste of talent! Have a …

‘Ollie Pope is a lost cause’: Geoffrey Boycott tears into England batter after Ashes flop show | Cricket News

‘Ollie Pope is a lost cause’: Geoffrey Boycott tears into England batter after Ashes flop show | Cricket News

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The brickbats are out in full force for England after their 82-run defeat to Australia in Adelaide confirmed that their wait for an Ashes victory will continue beyond this year. The defeat meant that England have fallen 3-0 behind in the series. Australia have held the Ashes since the 2018, with England having failed to beat them in their last two home series and losing 4-0 and twice in 2017/18 and 2021/22. England great Geoffrey Boycott has now said that they have to take a call in changing the structure and dropping those who have consistently underperformed, naming Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope among the batters. “Ollie Pope is a lost cause because he never learns,” wrote Boycott in The Telegraph. “I think he would give his wicket away if he were playing in a county second XI. He can’t help himself as he finds ways to get out that I couldn’t dream up. Somewhere in his head there is a self-destruct button.” Pope has been on slippery ground since before the start of the …

Geoffrey Boycott slams McCullum-Stokes regime: ‘Hubris has taken over from common sense, and that cannot be allowed to carry on’ | Cricket News

Geoffrey Boycott slams McCullum-Stokes regime: ‘Hubris has taken over from common sense, and that cannot be allowed to carry on’ | Cricket News

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Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes took over the reins of the England Test side when the team was at a crossroads in the summer of 2023. Post the takeover, they have adapted attacking cricket as their method and given the players freedom to express themselves. In the span of over three years, the side did manage to pull off some remarkable wins but also suffered some humbling experiences. The tours in which any leadership group of the big three (England, Australia and India) is judged when they play against the other two, Stokes-McCullum duo with their Bazball approach could not alter the results as much. When the England side came to India in early 2024, they took a 4-1 drubbing, and in the ongoing Ashes series, they have lost the series after the first three Tests. And at home, they drew both against Australia and England in 2023 and 2025, respectively. Former England cricketer Geoffrey Boycott reckoned Hubris has taken over from common sense in the England side. However, he also acknowledged that the Bazball …

Geoffrey Boycott questions “hit and giggle batsman” Will Jacks’ abilities as Test all-rounder

Geoffrey Boycott questions “hit and giggle batsman” Will Jacks’ abilities as Test all-rounder

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Deterred by England’s poor cricket which saw them getting thrashed by Australia in the first two Tests of the ongoing Ashes series — Perth and Brisbane — legendary England cricketer Geoffrey Boycott went on a ranting spree, thrashing the Ben Stokes side for their performance Down Under. Boycott spared none of the English cricketers, calling Stokes’ claim of having a blueprint for playing in Australia a load of bull****. He questioned all-rounder Will Jacks abilities and skills as a Test cricketer and called him “a hit and giggle batsman in T20.” Jacks had replaced injured pacer Mark Wood in the playing XI for the Pink-Ball fixture at the Gabba in Brisbane. Boycott said even his mum could play Jacks spin bowling. “Will Jacks took an amazing one-handed catch to get rid of the dangerous Steve Smith and in the second innings he made a gutsy 41. But if he is a Test match cricketer… no disrespect intended but he is a hit and giggle batsman in T20 and my Mum could play his bowling with …

Geoffrey Boycott hammers England after Gabba drubbing

Geoffrey Boycott hammers England after Gabba drubbing

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Former England cricketer Geoffrey Boycott has hammered the Ben Stokes side, which has been at the receiving end of things at the ongoing Ashes 2025-26 series, having lost the first two Tests one-sidedly. Stokes claimed that England had a blueprint for the Ashes tour Down Under, while head coach Brendon McCullum remarked that his team was ‘overprepared’ for this high-octane series. Boycott quashed all those claims, calling it bull**** and saying nothing can be believed from Stokes or his team. “Ben Stokes said England had a blueprint. They had been planning this tour for four years and know what they are doing. What a load of bulls—,” Boycott wrote in his column for The Telegraph. “We can’t believe anything Ben or his team say. None of them want to listen to anyone outside of their own camp. They are up their own backsides convinced that Test cricket has changed so much that only they know anything about the modern game. Boycott pointed out that this England team, under Stokes and McCullum, does not listen to …

Sir Geoffrey Boycott’s advice to England ahead of Ashes 2nd Test: ‘All we ask is for them to use their brains and realise there are times when they should throttle back’ | Cricket News

Sir Geoffrey Boycott’s advice to England ahead of Ashes 2nd Test: ‘All we ask is for them to use their brains and realise there are times when they should throttle back’ | Cricket News

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Sir Geoffrey Boycott said that England are perfectly capable of defeating Australia in the second Test but that can only be done if captain Ben Stokes and Co don’t depend on relentlessly attacking the game in spite of the situation dictating otherwise. Stokes had irked a lot of former players with his comments where he had called them has-beens. He has since said that he could have chosen his words more carefully. “England can beat Australia in Brisbane. Man for man, they are more talented than the Aussies but it doesn’t help our chances of success if Ben Stokes keeps encouraging our batsmen to attack, attack with one finger hovering over the self-destruct button. Nobody is asking the players to stop being positive because they have given us some marvellous, thrilling and entertaining cricket. All we ask is for them to use their brains and realise there are times when they should throttle back and be aware of situations and bat accordingly. These Australians are not unbeatable but our England team keeps giving them ways …

Geoffrey Boycott rips into ‘stupid’ England team after 1st Ashes Test loss: ‘They never learn, because they never listen to anyone outside their own bubble’ | Cricket News

Geoffrey Boycott rips into ‘stupid’ England team after 1st Ashes Test loss: ‘They never learn, because they never listen to anyone outside their own bubble’ | Cricket News

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England legend Sir Geoffrey Boycott absolutely ripped apart the national team for losing the 1st Test match of the 5-match Ashes series to Australia in 2 days. Writing in his column for The Telegraph UK, which was titled “I cannot take this stupid England team seriously anymore,” the 85-year-old said that the England team do not listen to anyone and live in their own bubble which has brought about their downfall. “Before this series started Ben Stokes told the world that any ex-player who criticised them or had a different opinion were “has-beens” because Test cricket had changed and the past was irrelevant. Well, from this has been the message is simple: when you keep throwing away Test matches by doing the same stupid things it is impossible to take you seriously. They never learn, because they never listen to anyone outside their own bubble, because they truly believe their own publicity,” Boycott wrote. “It is simple. Brainless batting and bowling lost England the match. A 40-run lead on a fast bouncy low scoring pitch …