New Delhi: England must be humble on and off the pitch to be successful in their home Test series against India that begins next month, followed by the Ashes later this year, believes their head coach Brendon McCullum.
England host Zimbabwe in a one-off Test from Thursday in in Nottingham and would look to use it as a warm-up game for the five-match India series that begin from June 20.
Speaking a press conference ahead of the lone Test, McCullum said his team’s players would have to win back respect from fans after recent ill-advised comments after underwhelming performances that weren’t greeted warmly by the fans.
“It’s not just about what you do on the cricket field. It’s how you carry yourself. It’s how you interact with the public. It’s the messaging that you give,” McCullum said on Wednesday.
“The ability these guys have to be able to play on the biggest stage, under the brightest lights and the pressure that takes is one thing, but also the ability to be humble and show some humility and not feel out of touch with the general population is something I’d like to see us improve on.”
England lost all their group stage matches in the Champions Trophy and received criticism for a careless attitude and were questioned by former batter Kevn Pietersen for choosing golf over training during a poor limited-overs tour of India before the CT.
The players then dismissed the criticism they were subjected to, prompting England’s director of cricket Rob Key to ask they to stop taking ‘rubbish’.
“We’ve just got to be a bit smarter with some of our comments. What we say in that dressing room is often very different to what you expect to come out in a public forum,” McCullum said.
“We’ve got we just got to be aware of that, smart enough to be able to make sure that we articulate things when we get the opportunity so that we don’t we don’t lose touch with the English people.
Under McCullum, England had adopted an ultra-aggressive batting approach, termed ‘Bazball’, that has thrilled their fans when on song, winning 10 of their first 11 matches.
They moved to second spot in the Test rankings, but in recent times, they have flattered to deceive. But they are unlikely to change that approach.
“We want them along for the ride, particularly in the next few series, which could be quite amazing,” the former New Zealand keeper said.
“We want people to look back and say, ‘Crikey, that team in the mid-2020s was a hell of a team that we loved following, and we felt as if we were a part of that journey they went on.’”
England host Zimbabwe in a one-off Test from Thursday in in Nottingham and would look to use it as a warm-up game for the five-match India series that begin from June 20. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
