Former England pacer Steve Harmison has come down heavily on his former teammate Kevin Pietersen after the ex-captain criticized the team for their below-par performance in the ongoing second Ashes 2023 Test at Lord’s against Australia.
Australia was put into bat first by Ben Stokes and they amassed 416 runs with Steve Smith scoring his 32nd Test ton, while Travis Head and David Warner slammed fifties. Josh Tongue and Ollie Robinson picked three wickets apiece.
Pietersen had called England's performance on Day 1 “shambolic” and added that he hoped the coaching staff gave a “hammering” in the dressing to the players.
England had been sloppy in the field and with the ball and allowed Australia to get ahead in the game, but Pietersen's rant was seen as a bit too over the top by some.
Former England speedster Steve Harmison claimed that Pietersen was being far too harsh on the England team and needed to be more mindful of his words.
“I don’t think it was justified. I think this team has had one or two bad days in 12-13 months. I think some of the stuff that they were having a go at them (for), too matey, I think there’s a time and a place.
I’m not going to knock Kevin for having his opinion – he’s always had it. He was always forceful with it, it wasn’t always warranted, it wasn’t always best received,” Harmison told talkSPORT.
“I’m sure it wasn’t best received in the England dressing room (ahead of day two), it certainly wasn’t best received by the England dressing room when we were in it! But a few of us could say to Kevin, in no uncertain terms, to shut up.
I think at times there was a lot of frustration (on day one), but you’ve got to look at it in a five-day way. If he said that on Day five when England have just got beaten, I’d probably agree with him," continued Harmison.
“But if you say that on day one, when there’s a lot of cricket to be played, the sun’s gotta come out, and you’ve still got three innings to go – I’ll agree with him if England loses this Test match because it was a poor day yesterday. Shambolic? I’m not so sure," concluded the former pacer.
England had ended day two on 278/4 with Ben Duckett making 98 runs.
