Steve Harmison attacks 'overconfident' England for skipping training session
Published - 09 Feb 2025, 07:22 PM | Updated - 09 Feb 2025, 11:39 PM
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Former England cricketer Steve Harmison lashed out at the Jos Buttler-led England National Cricket Team for their controversial decision to skip a crucial practice session ahead of their must-win second ODI against India that is currently underway in Cuttack.
With England reeling from a crushing 4-1 defeat in the five-match T20I series and a demoralizing four-wicket loss in the first ODI at Nagpur, Steve Harmison minced no words in expressing his frustration over the national team’s "reckless and overconfident" decision.
England's decision to skip practice ahead of the 2nd ODI criticized by Steve Harmison
The Indian cricket team went through an intense and lengthy training session with the aim of sealing the ongoing three-match ODI series at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. The English team shocked fans and cricket experts by opting to rest instead ahead of such a do-or-die encounter.
Well, Steve Harmison admitted that taking a break can sometimes help when a team is struggling, but the latest break was beyond his understanding, given the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is just around the corner.
Steve Harminson was quoted as saying by TalkSport Cricket: “Yes, I must admit, I was surprised when we heard that England was going to have not so much a day off. Sometimes it can be counterproductive when you keep getting beat or things aren’t going as well as you’d want. Sometimes it is a good thing to get away from it, but like I’ve said in previous podcasts, how England has lost, I struggle to understand, especially with the Champions Trophy coming up, that you just have a complete day off.”
England doesn’t do compulsory practices under Brendon McCullum: Steve Harmison
Harmison also highlighted that the ongoing white-ball series in India has not so far been overly demanding for England, especially physically. However, he felt this series may have taken a mental toll on some players but emphasized the importance of staying sharp, especially when the team faces back-to-back defeats.
He reiterated that not many players got tired after playing a combined 340 overs. He added, “England doesn’t do compulsory practices under Brendon McCullum. It’s them that want to work on their game; they go and work on their game. And I think, well, hey, I’m not going to sit here and say you should be going practicing; you should be doing this; you should be doing that.”
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Meanwhile, the cricket pundit raised concerns about England's current performance and preparation, saying that something is not quite right with the team. He pointed out that with just a couple of weeks before the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, England's No. 11 has batted six times in the last six white-ball games, five of them in T20Is, which hinted that something is wrong.
There’s something not quite right and clicking with this team: Harmison
Harmison also questioned whether lounging around, playing golf, or relaxing by the pool would help solve the team’s issues. He stressed that, with the team losing heavily to India in the ongoing series the decision not to train ahead of the must-win game was surprising. He questioned their current approach, especially given their position in the series.
The Englishman signed off by saying, “I’m just questioning what a lot of people will be questioning, that there’s something not quite right and clicking with this team because they’re playing against one of the best teams in the world in their own back garden. I’m very, very, I was a little bit surprised to hear that not one person trained, especially with a 15- or 16-man, especially when you were already beaten by 5-1 in a six-match series so far.”
