LONDON: Former England captain Michael Vaughan has slammed the current side’s lack of “spirit and fight” as they hurtled towards a series loss in the West Indies.
The latest in a long line of batting collapses left England 103 for eight in their second innings at stumps on Saturday’s third day of the third and final Test in Grenada – a lead of only 10 runs with two days left to play.
Mayers’ golden arm destroys England to leave West Indies on verge of victory
With the series level at 0-0 after two draws, Joe Root’s tourists, fresh from a humiliating Ashes reverse in Australia, succumbed to the unheralded Kyle Mayers as the medium-pacer returned the astounding figures of five wickets for nine runs in 13 overs.
“To see the England team just capitulate like that with no spirit or fight – I am afraid there are big questions to ask,” Vaughan told BT Sport. “The resistance in this England team is non-existent.”
Vaughan, the last England captain to enjoy a Test series win in the Caribbean back in 2004, said he sympathised with fellow Yorkshire batsman Root and his team regarding the challenges posed by ‘bubble’ cricket amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, he added: “But when you continuously see them just collapse and show no fight, no spirit and togetherness… I hear all the time that the England squad are quite tight and have a good spirit. No they haven’t.
“Spirit happens on the pitch, it doesn’t happen on the beach or by the pool. It happens on the pitch when you get partnerships working together and you fight your way through tricky situations. You don’t gift the opposition an easy win.”
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