Brendon McCullum says England tapering their training sessions in India was due to injuries after the team’s work ethic was criticised by Kevin Pietersen and Ravi Shastri.
Former England batter Pietersen and ex-India coach Shastri suggested the tourists had not spent enough time in the nets as they sank to seven defeats from eight on their white-ball tour, with a 4-1 thrashing in the T20 series followed by a 3-0 sweep in the ODIs.
England captain Jos Buttler insisted there was not a “lazy environment or lack of effort” within the team after the 142-run drubbing in the final ODI at Ahmedabad.
Captain Jos Buttler says England do not have a ‘lazy environment’
McCullum has now said the easing down in practice was as a result of wanting to ensure a fully-fit squad ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan, with England’s opening match against Australia in Lahore on Saturday February 22, live on Sky Sports.
Jofra Archer (cut hand), Brydon Carse (toe), Jamie Overton (hamstring) and Jamie Smith (calf) have all been nursing niggles.
McCullum’s men trained six times in India amid lengthy travelling between venues but did not do so before the second and third ODIs during a tour in which they regularly came unstuck against spin.
The head coach said: “We’ve done lots of training. We have had injuries in the camp so we’ve backed guys off a little bit to make sure we had a fit team.
Watch all the action from the ICC Champions Trophy live on Sky Sports from February 19 to March 9
“We have three training sessions in Pakistan [before the Champions Trophy starts].
“Guys have come from a lot of cricket and keeping guys fresh is just as important, especially when you have injuries.
“Hopefully in Pakistan we will have a fully-fit squad to pick from and we look forward to a fresh challenge. It’s been a tough lesson but hopefully it’s been great preparation for the tournament.”
Buttler tells the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast he is looking to ‘really enjoy’ his last few years as an England player
Will Duckett be fit for Champions Trophy?
Opener Ben Duckett tweaked his groin fielding in the final ODI and struggled to move while batting in the run chase, with 32 of his 34 runs coming in boundaries before he holed out 22nd ball.
The left-hander now appears a doubt for the Champions Trophy, with McCullum adding. “[Duckett] has had quite a lot of cricket over the last little while. We will make that call, work out if he’s going to be at risk, if he’s in or out.”
On the rest of his injury-affected players, McCullum said: “Jamie [Smith] would have been a risk (in the final ODI) but he will be available for the first game (at the Champions Trophy).
McCullum expects Jofra Archer (pictured) to be fit for England’s Champions Trophy opener against Australia on February 22
“With Brydon, hopefully his toe has healed by then and he is available for the first game. Overton feels OK, he felt a little bit of tightness after the last game but he should be fine for the first one. Jofra should be available. That’s good news.”
On England’s Champions Trophy prospects, McCullum added: “You’ve got to make sure you maintain that belief in your side and I certainly have belief in us.
“I believe we’ve got a squad which, if we’re able to put it all together, is as good or as competitive as anyone else, particularly in the conditions that we’ll face in Pakistan.
“We hope maybe a fresh look on different surfaces in a different environment might provide some more answers for us. But I still believe our guys are good players of spin.”
Buttler is excited about the future with England and has hailed the talent within the group
England’s Champions Trophy squad: Jos Buttler (captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood
England’s ICC Champions Trophy fixtures
All times UK and Ireland, all games live on Sky Sports
- Australia: Saturday February 22 (9am) – Lahore, Pakistan
- Afghanistan: Wednesday February 26 (9am) – Lahore, Pakistan
- South Africa: Saturday March 1 (9am) – Karachi, Pakistan
Watch every match from the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy live on Sky Sports between February 19 and March 9 or stream with NOW.
