Ian Botham: What I saw from England at Edgbaston was a joke

Ian Botham

London, Sep 3 (IANS) Hurt and angry at England's pathetic performance in the ODIs, former skipper Ian Botham wondered when the team would wake up and start playing attacking cricket.

The legendary all-rounder said he has rarely been angry after watching the England team's performance. But he said what he saw at Edgbaston Tuesday night was a 'joke' as England lost the fourth ODI by nine wickets and also the series to India.

"Rarely have I been so angry at watching an England cricket team perform. What I saw at Edgbaston was a joke. A total embarrassment from a team who should have designs on winning a World Cup in six months' time. Instead, they'll be lucky if they win an egg cup between now and then playing like this," Botham wrote in The Mirror.

What upsets Botham is the fact that England are not learning from their mistakes.

"They just never learn and it upsets me to see them making the same mistakes time and time again. The one-day game has changed and we have failed to change with it. When are we going to wake up and realise that positive, attacking cricket is what the 50-over game is about, not half-hearted prods to get to 250?" he said.

Botham believes it is high time the selectors bring in players who can take risks and score runs rapidly.

"There must be players out there who are capable of taking the risks needed to score runs at a faster rate, because this lot certainly aren't," he said.

The 58-year-old said he should not lose his calm and better keep his focus on the annual Cowdrey Lecture for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) at Lord's here on Wednesday evening.

"I've got to calm down before I get to Lord's, where I'll be delivering the annual Cowdrey Lecture for the MCC. I've got my notes and I'm looking forward to sharing my views at a place that has been a big part of my life for years," he said.