Boycott calls England's performance 'pathetic'

Geoffrey Boycott has launched a scathing and wide-ranging attack on the state of English cricket, in an interview on Radio Five Live. He called England's performance against South Africa "pathetic'". He also strongly criticised the selectors for looking to the future instead of the present, and called Nasser Hussain "stupid'" for the resigning from the captaincy when he did. The strongest criticism however, was reserved for Duncan Fletcher.

Boycott has been forced to watch most of England's recent matches on television, as he has fought throat cancer from which he is now in remission. In this interview, however, he showed that he has not become any softer.

"I don't take much notice of their wins against Zimbabwe," he began. "Quite frankly they [Zimbabwe] weren't up for it. A club side could have beaten Zimbabwe, so saying England have had a good summer so far is nonsense. We've not been tested until South Africa came here, and we've not only been found wanting - we've been pathetic."

Boycott believes that the selectors should not pick young cricketers simply because they're looking to build a team for the future. He insists that Nasser Hussain and Alec Stewart still have roles to play. "Every time we have a bad match, the selectors come up with the old chestnut of `sack the older players, bring on youth, build for the future'."

"Well to hell with the future - what about now? What the public could do with is a tonic now - they could could do with England whacking South Africa at Trent Bridge. So I wouldn't sack Alec and I wouldn't sack Hussain - I think they've got it right."

Fletcher, who prefers to work quietly from the sidelines, is not spared either: "Whenever there's any publicity, it's shove the captain forward. When the team plays well, he [the coach] takes a lot of the plaudits. I think you've got to take some of the pressure off Michael (Vaughan) and stand up a bit."

Boycott suggested that England needed someone who properly recognised the importance of County cricket: "He [Fletcher] hasn't played county cricket and he doesn't understand the passion we have for it, and resting all the players all the time is killing county cricket. I just feel that it would be better if we had an Englishman who understands that we have a professional county game to support, as well as Test matches to win. You have to marry the two."

Hussain might have got the Boycott vote as player, but the timing of his resignation comes under fire: "Stupid - not good for English cricket. I accept that maybe he was mentally shot - but he should have known that before he went on the field. He did a lot of talking before that first Test match and I thought 'this guy's talking himself out of a job'."