Wisden, the cricketing bible, has launched a scathing attack on England's Ashes performance in Australia, describing the campaign as 'feckless, reckless and legless' in its latest edition. Editor Lawrence Booth criticised the team's preparation, tactics, and off-field conduct, saying it was 'hard to think of a privilege so carelessly squandered'.
The 4-1 defeat was marred by a poor buildup, lurching tactics, and accusations of unprofessionalism, including Harry Brook's altercation with a nightclub bouncer in New Zealand. Booth wrote: 'Much of the misery was self-inflicted: from the paper-thin preparation, via a string of schoolboy dismissals, to the revelation of Harry Brook's scrape with a nightclub bouncer.'
England's decision to bury the Brook incident was described as 'another level of stupidity', while the mid-series break in Noosa drew further criticism. In contrast, Mitchell Starc's alcohol abstinence during the campaign helped him claim 31 wickets at 19.9, earning him Wisden's leading men's cricketer award.
The women's award went to India's Deepti Sharma, who scored 215 runs and took 22 wickets in the Women's Cricket World Cup. Abhishek Sharma was named leading T20 cricketer, while Shubman Gill received the Wisden Trophy for his 430 runs in two innings at Edgbaston.
