File Pic: Ben Duckett of England is bowled by Scott Boland of Australia at The Gabba. (Getty Images) Former England batsman Mark Butcher has delivered one of the most incisive assessments of England’s technical decline in recent years, arguing that an overemphasis on “intent” has eroded the foundations needed to survive the rigors of Test cricket – particularly in Australia.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!In a candid reflection prompted by England’s performances in the ongoing Ashes series, Butcher said “technique has become almost a dirty word in English cricket over the last 10 years or so”, lamenting that players often equate it with a lack of ambition or aggression.
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“But the fact is, you need fundamentally good technique to be successful at having all the intent and aggression in the world,” he said, stressing that even the boldest approach crumbles without a solid foundation.Butcher pointed to recurring errors in England’s batting – “straight legs, drive up, hands miles out in front of the body” – which can go unpunished on slower English pitches but are brutally exposed on the hard, flowing surfaces Down Under.
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“A lot of these things don’t turn out to be dangerous on relatively slow English pitches, but they’re dangerous as hell in Australia,” he said. “Cricket in Australia is very, very tough … the surfaces force you to repeat the discipline over and over again to be successful and we’re rarely doing that.”His comments come as England are 0-2 in five Ashes matches, with Australia dominating across conditions and stages.Meanwhile, Australia have received a major boost ahead of the third Test in Adelaide with captain Pat Cummins named in the 15-man squad after recovering from a lower back injury sustained in July. Coach Andrew McDonald said the 32-year-old speedster “will be as ready as he can be” for the Test starting on December 17.Usman Khawaja, under pressure after missing the second Test with a back problem, kept his place. McDonald suggested the veteran could return lower in the order if Travis Head continues to open on his home turf.Nathan Lyon is also in line to return after being dropped at the Gabba due to a full-seam attack – missing a home Test for the first time in 12 years.
