England has been facing criticism lately for their disappointing performance leading up to the 2025 Champions Trophy, especially after a 3-0 series loss to India. The matches were pretty one-sided, and there have been reports about the team not having enough net sessions during the ODI series. Head coach Brendon McCullum has dismissed claims that the team skipped training, suggesting they opted for some downtime on the golf course instead.

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen voiced his frustrations during the commentary, and former coach Ravi Shastri chimed in as well. McCullum responded to the criticism, stating, “It’s simply not true that we don’t train. We’ve been training consistently, and the players have been coming off a busy cricket schedule. It’s easy to say we’re not training hard enough when the results aren’t in our favor,” he told TalkSport.

While McCullum acknowledged that the team had limited net sessions after the first ODI, he emphasized that they were focused on keeping players fit due to a growing list of injuries. “We have a style and method we believe in, and we’re managing players with injuries. We want to ensure we have enough players ready for the big challenges ahead,” he explained. “What’s being said is just not accurate, and we stand by our approach.”

England's unremarkable lead-up to the Champions Trophy

England dropped the first two ODIs against India by four wickets, but the score doesn’t really show how far behind they were, especially since the hosts fell apart at the end while trying to chase the target. They then got beaten in the third ODI by a hefty 142 runs. Pietersen had some harsh words for the England batters.

Only Ben Duckett, Joe Root, and captain Buttler managed to score half-centuries for the visitors, with Duckett's 65 in the second ODI being the highest score for England in the series. Since their early exit from the 2023 World Cup, England has lost all four ODI series they've played and have only managed to win four out of the 14 ODIs during this stretch.

Read Also: Ravichandran Ashwin Raises Eyebrows Over India's Champions Trophy Spinner Strategy

Get the latest Bollywood entertainment news, trending celebrity news, latest celebrity news, new movie reviews, latest entertainment news, latest Bollywood news, and Bollywood celebrity fashion & style updates!

HOW DID YOU LIKE THIS ARTICLE? CHOOSE YOUR EMOTICON!