England head coach Brendon McCullum has rejected suggestions that his team was not properly prepared for their tour of India, terming such assertions "factually incorrect." McCullum maintained that England's training program was good throughout the T20I and ODI series, even though both concluded with thumping defeats.
In a TV commentary debate on the third ODI, Kevin Pietersen and Ravi Shastri opined that England players, apart from Joe Root, hadn't attended net sessions in the ODI series. Although the team practiced before the first game in Nagpur, they avoided sessions prior to the second and third ODIs in Cuttack and Ahmedabad.
With the Champions Trophy looming, England were thrashed by 142 runs in the final game, winning a 3-0 series loss following a 4-1 thrashing in the T20Is. Injury blues were added to their misery as England had to do without Jacob Bethell, who strained his hamstring, and Jamie Smith, whose calf issue kept him on the sidelines.Cuttack thus saw assistant coaches Marcus Trescothick and Paul Collingwood act as fill-in fielders.
Responding to the criticism, McCullum said talkSPORT following the third ODI, "Firstly, the accusation that we don't train is not true. We've trained regularly throughout the tour, and our players have come in having played a lot of cricket. It's convenient to say we didn't prepare well when things don't go for us, but that's not reality.".
"We have got a good strategy and game plan. Some of the players have struggled with injuries, and it's been our priority to make sure we've got a fit side ready for the big challenge coming up. The accusations that have been made are untrue, and we believe in our process."
England captain Jos Buttler also dismissed the idea of team struggles because of the effort being lacking. Talking after the Ahmedabad match, he clarified, "It's been a long tour with some long travel days. Although we did not train on a couple of occasions, we have done lots of preparation overall. We concentrate on building a good team environment, but that should not be confused with complacency or lack of commitment. The players are completely committed to playing well and improving."
McCullum, England's newly appointed white-ball coach in January but who earlier coached only the Test team, said the tour was an education experience prior to the Champions Trophy which begins next week in Pakistan.
England will now spend two days in the UAE before commencing their campaign against Australia on February 22 in Lahore. The team has also finalized Tom Banton as Bethell's replacement in their 15-member Champions Trophy team.
Reflecting on the tour, McCullum said, “I’ve gained a lot of insights. Our squad is filled with exceptional talent, and as coaches, our job is to help them develop confidence and refine their skills. While the results were disappointing, there are valuable lessons to take away. Facing a strong opponent in their home conditions is always tough, but this experience will benefit us in the long run.”
He also reinforced the necessity of inducing a healthy attitude in the team."Ultimately, performance makes you what you are, but we want to take out of that environment the fear of failure that's associated with them. Our people are extremely competitive, and we want to get them into a space where they feel they can let their stuff work and happen confidently and with clarity.".
As we rebuild in Abu Dhabi, we will make sure everyone is physically ready and mentally refreshed so that we have a complete squad available for our first match against Australia. If we can take to the field with fresh energy and belief, we will not only play better but also produce stronger results.
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