Giles: Players and coaches are to blame
Former England coach Ashley Giles says it's not fair to blame current coach Peter Moores entirely for the side's dismal World Cup performance, saying the players were the one on the field and were to blame too.
Moores has been under fire since England's group stage exit, winning just two games against Scotland and Afghanistan, and Giles, who had the job before Moores, said the whole system was wrong and there had been plenty of mistakes.
Giles said: "I'm certainly not going to murder Peter Moores. I think both sides [players and coaches] have to take a bit of the blame.
"I think the operation was indifferent. Changing the side (sacking Alastair Cook) on the eve of the World Cup wasn't ideal.
"Ultimately players go out there to win you games of cricket. They have to hold their hands up and say they didn't perform. As a collective we simply didn't get it right.
"While the rest of the big nations seemed to have made changes this year in the World Cup and how they have played with the aggression they have shown with the bat, I don't think England have caught up with that at the moment."
Cook was replaced bye Eoin Morgan as skipper just weeks before the event, and Cook said after the exit that he would have been a better skipper Down Under, and that the ECB had made a mistake in sacking him.
Giles added of the Test skipper's comments, referring to Michael Vaughan calling Cook 'bitter': "I don't know whether he's bitter, but he's bound to be disappointed.
"I didn't see Cooky's conference on it but I've seen the quotes. He's clearly disappointed to lose the captaincy on the eve of a World Cup.
"Changing your captain is always a massive decision, particularly someone who is captain across both Test and one day forms.
"Would it have made that much difference? I'm not sure. I don't think England's performances would have drastically changed.
"But clearly it was a tough decision for the ECB and for Cooky in different ways."
Latest
-
NewsBen Duckett keen to be main man as Nottinghamshire prepare to defend Blast title
The batsman struck the winning runs in last year’s final.
-
NewsReturning fans can bring fun back to Vitality Blast – Laurie Evans
The Surrey batsman is excited for the competition to begin after a challenging 12 months for cricket.
-
NewsNew Zealand captain Kane Williamson an injury doubt for second England Test
Trent Boult is expected to play after his belated arrival in the country.
-
NewsA look at James Anderson’s record and where he stands among England greats
The Lancastrian is set to don the England whites for a 162nd time when the second Test against New Zealand begins on Wednesday.
-
News‘I thought I wasn’t good enough’ – James Anderson recalls nerves on 2003 debut
The fast bowler is preparing to unseat Sir Alastair Cook as England’s most capped Test cricketer.
-
NewsSamit Patel hoping to help Nottinghamshire make history and defend T20 title
The Vitality Blast gets under way on Wednesday with Nottinghamshire looking to defend their title.
-
NewsEngland players committed to self-improvement, says James Anderson
Ollie Robinson has been suspended following historic racist and sexist tweets.
-
NewsSophia Dunkley among 17 England Women players to be awarded central contracts
The South East Stars all-rounder made her England debut at the Twenty20 World Cup in 2018.
-
NewsECB probing claim a second England player posted ‘historic offensive material’
Ollie Robinson was on Sunday evening suspended from all international cricket pending an investigation.
-
NewsBoris Johnson sympathises with Ollie Robinson after ‘over the top’ suspension
Robinson has been suspended over historical tweets but the Prime Minister agreed with Oliver Dowden’s assessment the ECB has gone ‘over the top’.