England captain defends training methods amid criticism during India tour

Jos Buttler is adamant that England are not being "lazy" amidst explosive criticism regarding the frequency of their training sessions in India.

As England faced a heavy 142-run defeat, marking their seventh loss in eight matches during the ODI series in Ahmedabad, former India player and coach Ravi Shastri made a false claim, stating that the tourists had "just one net session this entire trip, if not any".

Shastri's point centred on the notion that "you're not going to improve" without putting in "the hard yards", as England again struggled with the bat, collapsing to 214 all out in response to India's dominant score of 356.

Ex-England captain Kevin Pietersen raised concerns over Tom Banton, who had arrived from the UK on Monday as an injury replacement for Jacob Bethell. Pietersen questioned why Banton was "on the golf course" on Tuesday instead of practising.

"There is not a single sportsperson who goes into a series and decides, 'I am going to get better without practice'," Pietersen expressed. "I was flabbergasted when I learned that England hasn't practiced since the first game." He added, "But you get paid to score runs. This is not a golf tour, this is a cricket tour. You practice so that you leave on a flight knowing you have given everything to win a game of cricket for England."

Despite the criticism, it was noted that India had only one more training session than England, as both teams adjusted to a demanding travel schedule that involved playing at eight different venues in 22 days.

Buttler defended the team's training regimen alongside head coach Brendon McCullum, stating, "We obviously try to create a really good environment but don't mistake that for a lazy environment or a lack of effort." He continued, "The guys are desperate to perform, do well, and improve."

England's loss was further exacerbated by an injury to Ben Duckett, who suffered a groin injury while fielding. Although he batted in his usual position, his noticeable limp raised concerns. Buttler is hopeful that the injury isn't severe.

"He's obviously been playing really well and hopefully it's not too bad," Buttler said. "We'll find out more over the next couple of days."

Recently, England's pace players Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, and Jamie Overton have been sidelined due to injury. Consequently, Banton made his first international appearance since January 2022, having been confirmed as Bethell's replacement in the Champions Trophy squad.