Follow UsEngland head coach Brendon McCullum has hit back at critics who claim that his side did not train during the recently concluded series against India. Former cricketers Ravi Shastri and Kevin Pietersen had claimed on air that barring Joe Root, they did not see any of the England cricketers train during the One-Day Internatinal (ODI) series.
England had trained ahead of the first ODI in Nagpur but chose against it ahead of the second and third ODIs in Cuttack and Ahmedabad, respectively. England succumbed to a 3-0 whitewash in the ODIs and before that, they lost the five-match T20 International (T20I) series 1-4. "Firstly, it's factually incorrect, the whole statement that we don't train," McCullum told talkSPORT after the third ODI.
"We've trained plenty right throughout, guys have come from a lot of cricket as well. I think it's an easy thing to have as a throwaway line that guys don't train enough when the results aren't right.
"But we've got a style and a method that we believe in. We've got guys who are battling injuries and trying to make sure that we've got enough bodies out on the field, knowing that we've got a huge assignment coming up in a week or two. Ultimately it's factually incorrect what's been said and we'll stay true to what we believe in."
England captain Jos Buttler, too, refuted these claims, saying that the loss in the series had nothing to do with lack of effort on their part. "We've had a reasonably long tour, a few long travel days," Buttler said.
"There have been a couple of times we have not trained, but we have done plenty of training throughout the tour. We try to create a really good environment but don't mistake that for a lazy environment or lack of effort. The guys are desperate to perform and do well and improve."
McCullum, who took charge of the white-ball side in January, reckons that the India tour had provided valuable lessons ahead of the Champions Trophy, set to begin in five days. The England side will spend the lead-up in the UAE before beginning their campaign against Australia in Lahore on February 22.
"I've learned a lot," McCullum said.
"There's guys in our team who are incredibly talented, if we can add a little bit of craft and give ourselves a bit of confidence within the dressing room, which is ultimately the task of us as coaches, then we'll see some of that talent will flourish. It's been a good tour, so much good will come from it, albeit the results are very disappointing. But that's the nature sometimes when you come up against a very good side in their own conditions.
"Ultimately, you're judged on results," he added. "From our point of view, we've got to strip away the fear of failure that results can bring. Guys are fiercely determined and competitive... how do you allow an environment to provide the freedom and clarity of thought to go out there and allow your talent to come out?
"That's what we're trying to do in the group we're building and that's what we'll try and do over the next week as well, give the guys a freshen-up in Abu Dhabi, make sure all the bodies are fit and ready to go, we've got a full squad to pick from come that first game against Australia. We do that, hopefully we walk a little taller and play a little better and end up getting better results as well."
England go into the eight-team event without Jacob Bethell, who sustained an injury during the India ODIs. He has been replaced by Tom Banton, who in Ahmedabad played his first ODI for England in nearly five years.
