England’s heavy defeat in the first Ashes Test in Perth drew heavy criticism from former captain Geoffrey Boycott, who accused the team of repeating the same “stupid mistakes” and questioned their mindset after another self-inflicted collapse.
His comments came just days after Ben Stokes dismissed criticism from former England players, calling them “has-beens” and insisting the modern game has moved on. But the boycott made it clear that experience still matters, especially when avoidable fundamental mistakes cost England crucial matches.
“The message is simple: if you keep throwing away Test matches by doing the same stupid things, you can’t be taken seriously,” Boycott wrote in his column.
Despite England bowling well and securing a valuable 40-run lead in the first innings on a fast, bouncy surface in Perth, their batting again proved to be their undoing. At around 100 for 1, with Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope in charge, England looked well placed to take the game from Australia. Instead, another famous collapse followed.
“Duckett got a good ball, but Pope gave it away for the second time in this match when he drove a very wide ball outside the off stump. How can he not realize it’s a stupid ball that’s tempting him to do something stupid?” Boycott questioned.
Ashes 1st Test, Day 2 Highlights | Scorecard
Harry Brook lasted just three balls before flashing another wide delivery to get out for a duck while Joe Root fell trying to force an extravagant run against Mitchell Starc. It started a rapid fall.
“England went from euphoria to the depths of despair. They lost the initiative and the momentum swung to Australia by the time they made a cup of tea,” Boycott added.
He also criticized England’s approach with the ball in the second innings, pointing out how quickly the intensity dropped. Jofra Archer, who was sharp earlier, looked off the pace as Mark Wood struggled to get the bounce. According to Boycott, England’s bowlers insisted on short bowling and failed to adjust their length as Travis Head found his rhythm.
“Once Head got up to speed, England lost the plot and were then bowled bouncer after bouncer. Tough moments in a match require batsmen, bowlers and captains to think on their feet. Unfortunately, our boys only have one way of doing things,” he wrote.
Boycott also underlined the extent of England’s poor decision-making, pointing out that almost half of the dismissals in the top order in both innings were the result of unnecessary shots.
“Baseball, bad judgment, overconfidence, whatever the reason, it makes it difficult to win games. Against top teams like India and Australia, it’s a huge factor in losing.”
Now 1-0 up in the series, England head to Brisbane for the second Test knowing that only a significant shift in discipline and decision-making can keep their Ashes hopes alive. Their bowlers have shown they can compete, but unless the top-order shows more restraint and clarity, the same mistakes are at risk in the next match.
– The end
Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
November 23, 2025
