“I am so pleased this team have got golf” - Former cricketer’s brutal attack on England’s critics after 0-3 loss in IND vs ENG 2025 ODIs

Former England pacer Steve Harmison has defended Jos Buttler and company after they were criticized for their dismal white-ball tour of India. England managed to win only one match out of eight, including a ruthless 0-3 whitewash in the ODI series ahead of the crucial Champions Trophy 2025.

Following the culmination of the tour, former players Kevin Pietersen and Matt Prior lambasted England for playing golf instead of honing their skills in the nets. England's lack of net sessions throughout the tour was highlighted, a decision that both skipper Jos Buttler and head coach Brendon McCullum endorsed.

Steve Harmison recently opened up about the challenges while touring the subcontinent. He told talkSPORT:

"I was invited up to see Mark Wood, and there was the golfers and then the lads who didn't play. When you come to a place like India or Pakistan, where you are in a confined space, and you can't go out because you get mobbed, you need a release. I sat there for three or four hours with some lads who were enjoying themselves with a game of cards or pool, but I came away thinking, I am so pleased this team have got golf.".

"You've got to have a release. They are human beings, and the human element of being on tour is not as simple as sitting in a hotel room and staring at four walls because you will go mad. So, the release of a fun environment when you are away from the game is so important, so the golf brush they get hammered with, I don't think that is fair," he added.

England's white-ball unit had a break when Ben Stokes and company toured New Zealand for three Tests in late 2024. However, the majority of the players have been playing almost non-stop cricket since the previous edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

After the 2024 T20 World Cup, they had a home series against Australia and a tour of the Caribbean, while select players had stints in franchise leagues before coming to the subcontinent.

"The whole statement that we don't train is factually incorrect" - England head coach Brendon McCullum

England head coach Brendon McCullum cited injuries as a pivotal reason behind the squad's limited training. The visitors lost Jacob Bethell's services to a hamstring injury. Jamie Smith and Ben Duckett are also nursing injuries ahead of the ICC event.

"The whole statement that we don't train is factually incorrect. We've trained plenty right throughout. It's an easy throwaway line to say that the guys aren't training hard enough when results aren't right. Ultimately, it's factually incorrect what has been said, and we disagree with it," McCullum told talkSPORT after England's ODI series loss.

England will kickstart their 2025 Champions Trophy campaign with a clash against arch-rivals Australia on February 22 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.