England Cricket Team will have a preparatory camp in Abu Dhabi ahead of long five-match IND vs ENG Test series. England Test captain Ben Stokes confirmed the camp after former pacer Steve Harmison slammed pre-series preparations. Harmison said that England will lose 5-0 if they go three days before the series starts.
“Good job we’re going to Abu Dhabi for a training camp before we go to India for even more training before that 1st test then isn’t it,” Ben Stokes tweeted on Steve Harmison’s comment.
The reason why Steve Harmison snapped at England’s preparation is because of their record. England could only win one Test on the last tour and the rest of the matches finished within three days. Harmison is afraid that England could be in a similar situation in the IND vs ENG Test series.
“If England go in 3 days before, they deserve to get beat 5-0. They really do. I’m an old man, that is what they are going to say, the times have changed, the game has changed, but I tell you, preparation has not changed. You can’t go into India underprepared. In fact, you cannot go India overprepared as well, you can be in India for six weeks before and still not be prepared for that first Test,” Steve Harmison said on talkSport.
But England still remain the las team to beat India in India, back in 2012. But with England abandoning tour games, their preparations have been hampered.
“I would love to know what Pietersen, Strauss, Cook, in that great side, the only side that has won there in 2012, what they would think when they hear that England will go to India like three days before the series. I think they would laugh at you,” Harmison said.
IND vs ENG Test series starts on January 25 in Hyderabad.
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