Published: Mar 11, 2015, 09:18 PM (IST)
Edited: Mar 11, 2015, 09:18 PM (IST)
After England’s shocking exit from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 after their 15-run loss against Bangladesh on Monday, former England players have heaped criticism on the current players and the team management. The poor one-day record of England continues and former players are frustrated with the team’s continued approach. (ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Full Coverage)
Former England player Mark Butcher is livid with England’s show and predicts a difficult year of international cricket ahead. He told Radio 5 live that England fans should ‘hide behind the sofa and don’t watch the Ashes when Australia comes to England.’ He expects a ‘horrendous six months’ for England ahead. England travels to West Indies after the World Cup and then faces New Zealand and Australia at home for the Test series.
Butcher, who played in 71 Tests for England and scored eight centuries, said that England coach Peter Moores remained in the job by ‘the skin of his teeth’. Butcher also talked about the lack of England players playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He says IPL is based on the ability and talent of the players playing rather than their class and privilege. And he insisted that England needs to produce a higher percentage of world class cricketers than what they are doing right now. (ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Points Table)
Former England captain Michael Vaughan though believed it was time for Moores to go and get former Australian pacer Jason Gillespie in the team as the coach.
When asked if Vaughan would like to coach England, he said, “Sometime in the future I have ambitions about becoming an international coach. But at this point right now we’re about to leave on a pre-season tour and our focus is on that. It’s absolutely Peter’s job and I feel for him.”
