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Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has slammed Jos Buttler’s England for their dismal performance in the ODI series against India, accusing them of disrespecting Indian conditions with their lack of preparation. After suffering a humiliating 0-3 whitewash, Pietersen expressed his frustration over the team’s approach, particularly after Ravi Shastri revealed that England had only one practice session throughout the series.
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England’s Poor Performance and Lack of Preparation
Following their 1-4 defeat in the T20I series, England had a chance to redeem themselves in the ODIs and gain momentum ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. However, they failed miserably, unable to compete against an Indian team that was missing Jasprit Bumrah, one of the world’s best bowlers.
What particularly enraged Pietersen was that England players spent more time playing golf than working on their game despite repeated losses.
“I get it, enjoy yourself. These are the best times of your life. Play golf, have the best of your time. Really enjoy playing for England. But by crikey, you get paid to score runs. You get paid to win games of cricket. You don’t get paid to play golf. This isn’t a golf tour, this is a cricket tour,” Pietersen said on Star Sports.
“I’m gutted that I’ve to say that you disrespect Indian conditions and India so much. I’m absolutely gutted from an Englishman’s point of view,” he added.
Pietersen’s Fiery Rant on Social Media
The former batter also took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his frustration:
“I’m sorry, but I am absolutely gobsmacked that England did not have ONE team practice session since losing the 1st ODI and losing the T20 series. How can this be? Seriously, how? I believe Joe Root was the only player to have a net this series, post Nagpur.”
Pietersen further emphasized that no professional athlete can improve without practice, especially when they are losing:
“There isn’t a single sportsman on this planet who can honestly say that they’d improve without practicing whilst they’re getting beaten. There also cannot be one player in that England side that can sit on the plane leaving India and say to themselves that they did everything they could to help England win.”
“For that, I’m actually incredibly sad this evening. Losing is fine if you’re giving your best to improve every day, and if England didn’t train during this series, then they didn’t try. Heartbreaking for any England fan!”
Ben Duckett’s Comments Upset Pietersen
Pietersen was also furious at England opener Ben Duckett, who stated after the second ODI loss in Cuttack:
“If we lose 3-0 to India, I don’t care as long as we beat them in the final of the Champions Trophy.”
Reacting to Duckett’s remarks, Pietersen wrote on X:
“Goodness me, it’s pretty poor that Duckett would say that he doesn’t care if England lose today and lose 3-0 to India. Context is important when reading quotes, but those words should NOT have been said! NEVER!”
England’s Path Forward
England’s lack of preparation and casual attitude have drawn heavy criticism from both former players and fans. With the Champions Trophy 2025 on the horizon, the team will need to regroup, reassess, and refocus if they want to compete at the highest level.
For now, Kevin Pietersen’s words serve as a brutal wake-up call to an England team that has seemingly lost its edge in international cricket.
