Legendary all-rounder Sir Ian Botham has predicted a 5-0 series whitewash by Australia over England in the ongoing Ashes 2025-26. He added that he is tired of seeing the England team refusing to learn from their mistake in the wake of their 1st Test team pounding at the hands by Australia in Perth.
England was demolished in two days at the Optus Stadium in Perth as Mitchell Starc’s 10 wickets and Travis Head’s brilliant 83-ball 123 runs helped Australia win the first Test by 8 wickets.
For years, England's Bazball attitude, developed after Brendon McCullum, often known as 'Baz,' came over as coach in 2022, has divided opinions.
England initially benefited from Bazball, but it has recently turned into a recipe for disaster, with the side drawing the Test series against India and trailing Australia 0-1 in the five-Test series. Botham, more than anything else, is surprised by England's lack of progress and fears a 0-5 defeat if things do not improve immediately.
“It (Perth) was horrendous; there's no other word for it. England needs to fire up and fire up quickly. I'm fed up of hearing, 'This is the way we play.' If I hear it once more, I think I'll throw something at the television. If that's the way you play, you might as well go home now because it's going to be 5-0.
They probably won't like me saying that, but they need to get their heads around it. I want more pride when I see people pulling that sweater on,” Botham told PA News Agency.
Additionally, Botham has urged the two senior England players, Ben Stokes and Joe Root, to step up and up their game to preserve their legacy. While Stokes and Root have won numerous awards at home, Botham emphasizes that success in Australia is critical to their careers.
Stokes made his England and Ashes debut with a century in Australia 12 years ago, and while Root is yet to get a century on Australian soil, there is no better moment than now.
“People remember you for what you’ve done over here. In Joe and Ben, we’ve got two world-class players—Joe’s got 39 hundreds for goodness’s sake—but they are desperate to make an impression here. You can only do that by winning. They need to get the monkey off their back.
They are the two who will want this the most because a lot of the others will get another bite at the cherry. I can tell you from experience, winning over here feels really, really good, and it means absolute respect. I don’t have a favorite time because every time you beat Australia is a great day. That alone should drive England,” Botham added.
The second Ashes Test, a day-night affair, will be played at the Gabba in Brisbane from December 4 onwards. In the meantime, an England XI will clash with the Australia PM XI in Canberra in a day-night tour match from November 29.
