Kevin Pietersen has claimed that only five England players are 'good enough' to compete with Australia and India, following the team's 4-1 Ashes series defeat. The former England batsman named Ben Stokes, Joe Root, Jofra Archer, Harry Brook and Jacob Bethell as the only players of sufficient quality.
Pietersen dismissed off-field controversies as 'distractions', insisting the core issue is a lack of talent. 'Apart from Stokes, Root, Archer, Bethell & Brook WITH a brain, the team isn't good enough to compete with Australia or India,' he wrote on social media. 'It's proven just on this tour with Australia missing most of their best players.'
Only three England players – Root, Bethell and Brook – averaged more than 30 in the five-match series. Australia's Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland shared 51 wickets between them, dominating the bowling standings.
England captain Ben Stokes defended coach Brendon McCullum, saying he has his full support. 'He's a great man and a very, very good coach,' Stokes said. 'There's more that goes on behind the scenes than he'll ever give away.' However, Stokes acknowledged opponents have found ways to counter England's attacking style, adding: 'We play too much 'three out of 10 cricket'.'
