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Former England cricketer Mark Butcher has expressed criticism of the team's insufficient preparation for the upcoming Test series against India. The England squad is scheduled to commence a five-match Test series in India on January 25 in Hyderabad.
However, the team's decision to arrive in the subcontinent nation just three days before the first Test has garnered significant backlash from experts and former cricketers. Butcher is the latest to voice strong disapproval of England's choice to skip practice matches ahead of the crucial Test series. He believes that the team's lack of preparation might impact their chances of winning a Test series in India, a feat they have not accomplished in the last 12 years.
"Frankly, I'd be a little bit terrified if I was playing. Most of the guys haven't played any long-form cricket since July. Very few of the squad were involved a great deal in the rundown of the County Championship, which finished at the back end of September. We're now three months down the road with nobody having had any sort of middle practice at all," Butcher said on Wisden Cricket Weekly Podcast.
The England team is gearing up for the Test series through an 11-day training camp in Abu Dhabi. Under the leadership of Ben Stokes, the team, which hasn't played any Test matches since July 2023, has adopted a unique approach under coach Brendon McCullum, foregoing traditional practice games for the 'Bazball' approach. This strategy proved successful with a 3-0 Test series win against Pakistan and a 2-2 draw in the Ashes 2023 against Australia.
However, India present a formidable challenge for the touring team. Butcher has raised concerns about the team's level of preparedness and questioned the decision not to spend at least three weeks in India before the series, allowing the players to acclimate to subcontinental conditions.
"Everybody believes that going to India that you're unlikely to win a five-Test match series in India, right? But what people will be less likely to be gentle about is if you go there without having done the requisite getting ready for it and then get battered. That's kind of inexcusable. Particularly given the huge gap that there has been for the Test team between July and now whereby there's no real reason why they couldn't have spent three weeks in India leading up to the series," Butcher said.
The upcoming series poses a significant challenge for England, and it remains uncertain whether they can effectively confront the Indian bowlers on spin-friendly pitches while adhering to their aggressive playing style.
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