Former England captain Kevin Pietersen didn’t hold back as he ripped into England’s cricket team, accusing them of “disrespecting Indian conditions and India” after their embarrassing 3-0 loss in the ODI series. India sealed the whitewash in style, crushing England by 142 runs in the final match in Ahmedabad.
England had a tough time throughout the series, losing all three games without much of a fight. To make things worse, former India coach Ravi Shastri, who was on commentary duty, dropped a bombshell—England’s players had only one practice session the entire series!
“From what I’ve heard, England have had just one net session this entire trip, if not any. If you’re not prepared to do the hard yards, you’re not going to improve,” Shastri said as England’s batting collapsed yet again.
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Kevin Pietersen ‘Shocked’ by England’s Lack of Practice
Pietersen was fuming when he heard this. Speaking on Disney+ Hotstar, he didn’t mince words about England’s preparation and attitude.
“Ravi Shastri and I were talking upstairs, and we thought these guys would’ve at least practiced in the last week or so. But they’ve had just one practice session before the Nagpur game, and nothing since. The only batter who had a net? Joe Root. Sorry, but you can’t just show up in India, keep making the same mistakes, and decide you don’t need to practice,” Pietersen said.
He added, “No professional athlete gets better without practice. I was absolutely shocked when I heard England hadn’t trained properly since the first game.”
Kevin Pietersen also took to social media, blasting England players for spending time on leisure activities instead of training.
“I get it, enjoy yourself. These are the best days of your life. Play golf, have fun. But let’s be real—you get paid to score runs and win matches, not to play golf. This isn’t a golf tour; it’s a cricket tour,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
He continued, “You practice so that when you get on the plane home, you know you gave it your all. Right now, apart from maybe Joe Root, none of these players can say that. And that’s just sad.”
Pietersen was also livid about Ben Duckett’s comments after England’s second ODI loss in Cuttack. Duckett had said, “If we lose 3-0 to India, I don’t care as long as we beat them in the final of the Champions Trophy.”
Pietersen wasn’t having it. “Goodness me, it’s shocking that Duckett would say he doesn’t care about losing 3-0. Context matters, but those words should NEVER have been said!” he posted on X.
During the T20I series, England’s Harry Brook blamed Kolkata’s air quality for his poor performance, saying it affected his vision. But considering he struggled throughout the series, Pietersen wasn’t impressed.
“No, really. I hate to say this, but you’re disrespecting Indian conditions and India so much. As an Englishman, that’s just embarrassing,” Pietersen said.
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With the Champions Trophy coming up, England’s attitude and preparation are under serious scrutiny. Pietersen’s harsh words echo the frustration of fans and former players who expect better from the team.
