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Kevin Pietersen accused Jos Buttler’s England team for not practicing and playing golf instead, after their 3-0 ODI series loss to India.
Kevin Pietersen was furious with the English team’s attitude towards the sport. (AFP Photos)
Former England captain Kevin Pietersen went on a sensational rant against Jos Buttler’s team on Wednesday after they capitulated to a 3-0 ODI series whitewash against India. He alleged that the visitors hadn’t done even one practice session since losing the first ODI in Nagpur and spent most of their time playing golf, before reminding them that they were being paid to win games of cricket and ‘not to play golf’.
England lost the third ODI in Ahmedabad by 142 runs — their second-biggest margin of defeat against India in the format. Shubman Gill scored a century to take India to 356/10, in reply to which, no English batter crossed even 40 before the team got bowled out for 214 in just 34.2 overs.
“I was flabbergasted when I heard that England had not practiced since the first game, absolutely flabbergasted,” Pietersen said on Star Sports. “I get it, these are the best times of your life, play your golf, eat out at beautiful restaurants… just have the best time, really enjoy playing for England. But by crikey, you get paid to score runs, that’s why you get paid. You get paid to win games of cricket, you don’t get paid to play golf. This is not a golf tour, this is a cricket tour.”
Earlier in the day, Pietersen had alleged that the top scorer in the match, Tom Banton, who had come as a replacement mid-series, had chosen to play golf instead of practicing for the series. Now, after the match, he added that only Joe Root was seemingly taking the series seriously.
“The day before the Nagpur game, they haven’t practiced since,” Pietersen added. “There’s only one batter, Joe Root, who has had a net. But I am sorry, you cannot come to the subcontinent and keep on making the same mistakes and then decide that I am not going to practice. There’s not a single sportsman — man or woman — who goes into a series, into a career, and decides I am going to get better without practice. I am sorry, I am just so, so sorry.”
England now go to the 2025 Champions Trophy having lost seven of their eight white-ball matches in India.
