IND vs ENG: England Deserve A Whitewash - Steve Harmison Slams England's Preparation Strategy For India Tour

Former England fast bowler Steve Harmison has criticized England’s strategy of preparing for the upcoming five-match Test tour of India. The series is scheduled to commence on January 25 in Hyderabad. England have planned to land in India just three days before, reportedly after finishing their preparation for the tour in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The spin-friendly conditions will arguably come across as the biggest challenge for Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum’s ‘Bazball’ style of play. England have only managed to win one Test against India in their previous two tours. However, it remains the last team to win a Test series on Indian soil. When England won the Test series in India, it was 2012 when MS Dhoni was India’s all-format captain.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has already named a side with a lot of spin options for the tour. Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley have received their maiden England call-up. Steve Harmison has previously toured India and has played three Tests on the Indian soil. He is far from pleased with England’s devised plan for the series and believes that if they get whitewashed then it will be thoroughly deserved.

“If England go in 3 days before, they deserve to get beat 5-0. They really do. I’m an old man, that is what they are going to say, the times have changed, the game has changed, but I tell you, preparation has not changed. You can’t go into India underprepared. In fact, you cannot go India overprepared as well, you can be in India for six weeks before and still not be prepared for that first Test,” Steve Harmison said in an interaction.

Steve Harmison Wants To Know The Thought Of The 2012 Side That Won The Test Series Against India

“I would love to know what Pietersen, Strauss, Cook, in that great side, the only side that has won there in 2012, what they would think when they hear that England will go to India like three days before the series. I think they would laugh at you,” Steve Harmison added.

Steve Harmison played four Test matches against India out of which three were in the subcontinent. He claimed six wickets in those appearances. Australia and India Tours come across as the biggest events for England on their cricketing calendar. During England’s last tour of Australia, they played a couple of warm-up matches against the England Lions on Australian soil, a couple of weeks before the series was scheduled to begin.

“I love this new approach, I love the Stokes-McCullum approach, Rob Key, and everything that they have done. But, I’m sorry, going in three days before, you would never do that for an Ashes series. You would never go to Australia three days before for The Gabba, so why go three days before to Hyderabad? It is not the new world, it is player power. That’s all it is, it is people backing down to players,” Harmison concluded.

England have a vacant international window after the conclusion of the tour of the West Indies. However, most of the English players will be busy in various T20 franchise leagues like SA20 and ILT20. England’s tour of India will start in January and will have a month-long window for five Tests.