Jos Buttler has responded to claims his England team trained just once during their dismal and unsuccessful tour of India.
England were smashed by India in Brendon McCullum’s first tour as white-ball coach, losing 4-1 in the T20 series and 3-0 in the ODI series.
The tourists are preparing for the Champions Trophy, which starts next week, but were accused of failing to meet standards during the India tour.
As England were slipping to a third successive defeat in the one-day international series, former India head coach Ravi Shastri claimed he had ‘heard’ McCullum’s side had taken part in just one net session during the entire tour.
‘From what I’ve heard, England have had just one net session this entire trip, if not any,’ he said on TNT Sports commentary. ‘If you’re not prepared to do the hard yards, you’re not going to improve.’
Buttler, however, denied those claims and said the team had trained plenty as they balanced what proved to be a jam-packed tour with an unrelenting travel schedule.
‘We obviously try to create a really good environment but don’t mistake that for a lazy environment or a lack of effort,’ Buttler said. ‘The guys are desperate to perform, do well and improve.
‘I think we’ve had a reasonably long tour, a few long travel days, there have been a couple of times we’ve not trained but we’ve certainly done plenty of training throughout the tour.’
England are believed to be frustrated at how their training arrangements have been described by Shastri and former England star Kevin Pietersen.
Pietersen appeared to corroborate Shastri’s damning claim, saying Joe root was the only player to have a net in the second-half of the tour and claiming Tom Banton spent the day before the third ODI playing golf.
‘They had one practice session, the day before the Nagpur game. They’ve had no practice since,’ he said.
‘The only batter who had a net was Joe Root. Sorry, but you cannot come to the sub-continent, keep on making the same mistake and then not practice.
‘There is not a single sportsperson who goes into a series and decides, “I am going to get better without practice.” I am sorry.
‘I was flabbergasted when I learnt England hasn’t practiced since the first game. I get it. Enjoy yourselves. These are the best time of your life. Play golf. Go out, eat in a beautiful restaurant.
‘But you get paid to score runs. That is 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.
‘You practice so that you leave on a flight tomorrow knowing you have given everything to win a game of cricket for England.
‘I am gutted they have disrespected Indian conditions and India so much. I am absolutely gutted as an Englishman.’
Former England wicketkeeper Matt Prior said it was important for touring sides to find ‘balance’ but insisted he was surprised at the reported lack of practice sessions.
‘It is easy to say they should be in the nets every minute of the day,’ he said. ‘And I am sure people will be frustrated by watching England lose.
‘It has been a long tour. There has been a lot of time away and the travel is an element. You can’t take all elements of fun away.
‘You try to find balance. My view is a young team, trying to build, you should be in the nets and trying to improve. You have got to run talent into reality. You have to give yourself the best chance to perform.
‘A lot of the younger guys, you would expect them to make the choice to get the extra nets in and work with McCullum who scored runs in the sub-continent.
‘Sometimes you have to make that choice. It is those hard yards that earn you the right to have your day out.’
Ex-England bowler Steven Finn added: ‘You play, travel, play. It fatigues you. It is an eight-week long trip towards the end of the Champions Trophy.
‘On the face of it you think they should be in the nets but you can also compound bad habits in the nets before going to Pakistan, where spin averages more than seam. It is not as prevalent as India.
‘Am I infuriated they didn’t practice in this Champions Trophy? I don’t think I am.
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‘On the 2013-14 Ashes tour, I spent the entire tour making bowling complicated in my head by practicing.
‘The more I practiced the worse I got. It took 18 months to untangle the rubbish I put inside my head by complicating the game.’
England, who have lost 16 of their 23 ODI games since the 2023 World Cup, begin the Champions Trophy against Ashes rivals Australia on February 22.
Buttler’s side will also face Afghanistan and South Africa as they bid to progress from Group B and qualify for the knockout stages. Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and New Zealand make up Group A.
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