"England need a new No 3" - Geoffrey Boycott ahead of 4th Ashes Test at Old Trafford
Former England cricketer Geoffrey Boycott has opined that the Englis national team must find a new No. 3 batter for the remaining Ashes Tests. Boycott also strongly advised against tinkering with Joe Root's position, given he is their best batter.
With Ollie Pope injuring his shoulder in the second Test at Lord's, England tried two new candidates at first drop in the third match. Harry Brook and Moeen Ali both fell for single-figure scores in the first and second innings, respectively.
In his column for The Telegraph, the 82-year-old stated that England may as well use an opener at first drop in case a wicket falls.
"England need a new No 3 and if there is no one that springs to mind then select another opener just in case you lose an early wicket to the new ball. Leave Root at four. Don’t mess about with your best batsman. Harry Brook is not a No 3 and neither is Ben Stokes. They are the engine room."
Boycott underlined that Moeen Ali has been a massive gamble as well and hasn't impressed in either of the departments yet. He wrote:
"Moeen Ali was another huge gamble that has had limited pluses. He has been away from the heat of Test cricket for far too long. His spinning finger is a mess because it is not used to bowling lots of overs so splits too easily and becomes raw. Then it is impossible for him to bowl his best."
He added:
"His batting has always been flaky and looks no better. For me he is a white-ball batsman and plays a shot a ball."
Moeen Ali failed to make a contribution with the bat in the third Test at Headingley.
But the 36-year-old, though, played a massive role with the ball. He dismissed Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne in the second innings as England won by three wickets.
"You cannot afford to be too clever against Australia" - Geoffrey Boycott
Geoffrey Boycott urged England to play smartly moving forward and lamented losing from a winning position in the first two Tests. The former Yorkshire batter explained:
"If you can think smart at the trickiest moments and have a cool head it is priceless. That is what I’m asking England to do. Think and play smart. That is all. Bazball got them in trouble and lost them two Tests they should have won because they tried to be too clever."
He added:
"You cannot afford to be too clever against Australia. Make them bowl you out. Do not give your wickets away. Cut out the clever dick shots. Save them for one day cricket, not this Ashes."
The fourth Ashes Test starts in Manchester on July 19, with Australia leading the five-match series 2-1.