Former England cricketer Geoffrey Boycott has strongly criticised the team management for continuing to select opener Zak Crawley and new-ball bowler Chris Woakes. Boycott, who scored 8,114 runs at an average of 47.72 in Test cricket, feels Crawley has reached his limit and won’t improve, while Woakes is well past his best. His remarks came after England’s heavy 336-run defeat to India at Edgbaston.

After two Tests and four innings, Crawley has only scored 88 runs, with a top score of 65. Meanwhile, Woakes has been one of the least effective pacers for England in the series, taking just three wickets. He was wicketless in India’s first innings in Leeds and their second innings at Edgbaston. Young pacer Josh Tongue, however, has been the standout bowler in the series, with 11 wickets to his name.

“I don’t believe he can change or improve. Batting is all about the mindset, and the mind controls how you approach it what shots you play and which deliveries you leave. His technical and mental flaws are deeply rooted,” Boycott wrote in The Daily Telegraph.

“He hasn’t changed, or perhaps Zak doesn’t want to change. He has learned nothing after 56 Tests. One standout innings and many failures, with an average of 31, aren’t good enough.”

Boycott also lambasted Chris Woakes, a seasoned player with 59 Test matches and 184 wickets. “It’s not right to keep players in the team when they’re past their best or not delivering enough. Take Chris Woakes, for example. His pace is understandably decreasing as he gets older. He’s never been a consistent wicket-taker overseas, where his record is underwhelming. He’s been effective especially on English pitches and his batting has occasionally provided support when others have struggled. However, his role shouldn’t be to cover for poor batting. Batters are meant to score runs, and bowlers should be focused on taking wickets.”