Ashes 2021 LIVE: England’s dressing room ‘DIVIDED HOUSE’- Former England cricketer and Ashes winner Steve Harmison has made staggering revelation ahead of the Boxing Day Test. Joe Root’s dig at the bowling department after Adelaide pink-ball Test seems to have not gone well with the players. The former pacer even went on to say that Root’s comments could have a divisive impact in the dressing room. Follow Ashes 2021 live updates on InsideSport.IN
Ashes 2021 LIVE: Just before the make or break 3rd test, England’s dressing room ‘DIVIDED HOUSE’ says Steve Harmison, check why?
Harmison stressed that Root should have first told the players in the dressing room before creating any scene in the post-match press conference.
“I wouldn’t have a problem if I was on the receiving end of Root’s comments if he had first walked into the dressing room and stripped ten layers off the wall and said it to us before the media,” Harmison said as quoted by Fox Sports.
“Not speaking to the dressing room first was something that would have really disappointed me. I think Root’s comments about the bowlers were said in the heat of the moment, I think he wanted to mention something that was on the tip of his tongue, but I don’t think it was meant to be that severe,” he added.
Harmison feels that there is a batting & bowling divide as both departments failed to live up to the mark. Root’s comments were particularly directed at England’s bowling who gave away 400+ runs in 1st innings of both Brisbane & Adelaide Test.
“What’s worrying about Root’s comments is that his words directed at the bowlers turns any team meeting into a batsman vs bowlers situation.
“The bowlers might see Buttler face 200 balls on a fifth day pitch as England only score 230 and 190 and think that’s not good enough and say ‘I won’t let anyone have a go at me like that. You can tell me to pitch it up all you want but you lot have to score runs.’
“That’s when it turns nasty in dressing rooms and all of a sudden fractions come – there’s groups of twos and threes forming – and it tends to be the bowling unit that stays together and has a go at the batsman.”
Meanwhile, Harmison asked England to forget the past and start afresh at Melbourne to end the year on a high.
“England now needs to forget all the talking and it is now about actions, which starts on Boxing Day,” he signed off but warned the visitors of consequences.
Earlier, Australia great Ricky Ponting, Ian Chappell had put a question mark on his leadership fault.
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