McCullum insists England did ‘lots of training’ amid criticism of work ethic

Brendon McCullum has defended England’s training schedule after criticism of his side’s work ethic during their 3-0 one-day international series defeat by India.

England’s practice, or lack of it, was questioned on commentary by Ravi Shastri and Kevin Pietersen during the final ODI, with the former claiming to have heard that the visitors had only one net session on the entire trip, “if not any”. That specific claim is inaccurate – “totally incorrect,” McCullum said – with England having held multiple sessions during the preceding Twenty20 series and before the first ODI. They did not train before the second and third ODIs, with a mounting injury list cited to explain the decision amid a demanding itinerary.

“We’ve done lots of training,” said McCullum, England’s head coach. “We had injuries in the camp so we had to back guys off a little bit to make sure we had a fit team. We have three training sessions in Pakistan as well. Guys have come from a lot of cricket, and I think keeping guys fresh is just as important, especially when you have injuries.”

Ben Duckett’s fitness is the most significant scare for England heading into the Champions Trophy. The opener appeared to struggle with his groin in the field in Ahmedabad and was a hobbling presence with the bat – though he did strike a 22-ball 34, flaying eight boundaries. He finished the series as England’s leading run-scorer, his rapid starts with Phil Salt one of the few things the tourists had going for them.

The full damage to Duckett remains unclear with a scan required. “We will make that call, work out if he’s going to be at risk, if he’s in or out,” said McCullum. England are already down one southpaw in their squad for the Champions Trophy, with Jacob Bethell’s hamstring injury prompting the call to Tom Banton.

McCullum did have some positive updates, stating that Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton should be available for their tournament opener, against Australia on 22 February, after their respective calf and hamstring problems. Jofra Archer, who has been dealing with a cut on his hand, is also expected to be fine. Regarding Brydon Carse, McCullum added: “Hopefully his toe has healed by then and he’ll be available for the first one as well.”

The New Zealander retains belief that England can win the Champions Trophy, despite four consecutive ODI series defeats and 16 losses from their past 23 matches. “I believe we’ve got a squad which, if we’re able to put it all together, is as good or as competitive as anyone else, particularly in the conditions that we’ll face in Pakistan,” he said.

“That’ll be the messaging as well. Make sure that we stay tight as a group. Make sure we remain upbeat. Look after the health of the army and the morale within the group. If we do that, then we allow ourselves the best chance of performing. If we go the other way, you’ve got no chance, right? So there’s no alternative. You’ve got to make sure you maintain that belief in your side, and I certainly have belief in us.”