Kevin Pietersen rips big-talking England Ashes stars: 'Needs to stop'
England's stars have talked the talk but have failed to walk the walk this Ashes series.
Kevin Pietersen has risked alienating himself further from the England cricket side after a scathing message for Ben Stokes' men, ahead of the third Ashes Test at Headingley. England find themselves 2-0 down and staring down the barrel of a first Ashes series defeat at home since 2001, if they lose again in Leeds.
Pietersen delivered a brutal attack on England's players during the second Test at Lord's, describing their efforts in the field as "shambolic" and insisting the team was out-enthused by the Aussies. He also sparked fury after offering a hypothetical about Australia being able to bring in a concussion replacement for Nathan Lyon, if the injured Aussie was struck during his heroic second innings stand.
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Somewhat ironically, Pietersen has now told the England players to stop talking themselves up so much after insisting that they are only putting themselves under more pressure. “If you’re going to talk the talk, you have to walk the walk, and this England cricket team isn’t walking the walk,” Pietersen wrote in a column for a betting agency.
“They’re acting like they’re the greatest team around, but they’re currently on course to be the first England team to lose at home to Australia since 2001. After the first Test match, Ollie Robinson said that they felt like they won the game, Jimmy Anderson was complaining that the wicket was like kryptonite, and then you’ve got Zak Crawley saying they’re going to win the next one by 150 runs.
“Leading into Headingley, all of this needs to stop. The pressure that they’re putting themselves under by speaking that way and using that language is unnecessary. It’s not helping in any way, shape, or form.
“I said a lot of things in my career, and I put myself under a lot of pressure, but I was able to walk the walk. England are not walking the walk."
The comments are sure to add even more fuel to the fire for England, whose players already feel a sense of injustice from Alex Carey's controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow that has left the entire cricket world talking.
Joe Root hits out over Jonny Bairstow furore
Joe Root has become the latest player to take aim at Australia over the incident after suggesting it is what Pat Cummins' men will forever be remembered for. "As a player it's (about) how you want to play the game, how you want to be remembered," Root said. "And that's up to each individual.
"As a team, we want to play our cricket a certain way and want to leave a certain legacy. I try and put myself in that situation and position and I would like to think I would have dealt with it differently."
Root's comments come after Stuart Broad made similar remarks to Carey during play on day five at Lord's, before the quick also criticised Australia in a Daily Mail column on Tuesday. England's reaction has prompted accusations of them being sore losers and hypocrites, with vision emerging of Barstow trying to stump Marnus Labushagne in a similar fashion at Lord's. However, Root refuses to accept the two incidents are so similar in nature.
"If you look at the footage, Jonny didn't gain any advantage by doing what he was doing (when batting)," Root said. "As a batter you are fully aware when you are batting out of your crease that you are gaining an advantage.
"Whether it is covering different angles or trying to take modes of dismissal out of the game. "(That's different to) scratching a mark at the end of the over and walking to the other end."
Despite that, Root has called for calm at Headingley this week after the ugly scenes in the Lord's long room on Sunday, with the Yorkshire crowd renowned for being one of the harshest in the country. "Support England," he told them. "You're coming to support your nation, it doesn't need to go beyond that. Everyone should be able to enjoy the cricket.
with agencies
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