Former England captain Geoffrey Boycott has expressed his concern over England’s performance in the Ashes opener against Australia, criticizing their prioritization of entertainment over winning. Boycott emphasized that the ultimate goal should be securing victory against Australia rather than merely entertaining the crowd.

In a strongly-worded column for ‘The Telegraph’, Boycott asserted, “England are in danger of reducing the Ashes to an exhibition. England have got carried away with ‘Bazball’ and seem to think entertaining is more important than winning. But England supporters want one thing more than anything else — to win the Ashes.”

While Boycott acknowledged England’s dominant style of play, he stressed that defeating Australia should take precedence above all else. He cautioned that if Australia were to claim the Ashes at the end of the series, regardless of the entertainment value, it would be a bitter disappointment for English fans. Follow your favourite cricket team with attractive betting odds from Nextbet.

“Scoring fast runs, whacking lots of fours and sixes is lovely. It is great. But only if England do not lose sight of the big prize which is to beat Australia. If at the end of the series Australia go home with the Ashes, we will feel sick, regardless of how much we have been entertained,” Boycott wrote.

Boycott went on to elaborate his point, explaining that the Ashes would lose its significance if England did not play with the intention to win, relegating the matches to mere exhibitions for the spectators’ amusement. While he commended England’s aggressive approach, he called for a balance of common sense and pragmatism from the English team.

“If England are not playing to win, then these Ashes Tests are not that important. They are only exhibition matches. They have got it back to front. It is not about entertaining and then winning. It is about winning first,” Boycott emphasized. He further added, “England need a bit of common sense and pragmatism. That is all that is required. They do not have to change being positive because they are a better side than Australia and will win if they just show that common sense.”

Boycott’s words serve as a reminder to the English team to remain focused on their primary objective of reclaiming the Ashes. While an entertaining brand of cricket is enjoyable, it should not come at the expense of losing sight of the ultimate goal. With a balance of positivity and sensible decision-making, England has the potential to outclass Australia and emerge victorious in the series. Get the latest updates from the world of cricket only on Nextbet Sports.