NEW DELHI: As
Ben Stokes
and Co. gear up for the upcoming marquee India tour with an 11-day camp in Abu Dhabi, former England batter is unimpressed with the preparations of the team.
The much-awaited 5-Test series begins in Hyderabad from January 25 and the England team is likely to arrive in the country just three days ahead of the first game.
With no warm-up games taking place, Butcher said he is 'a bit terrified' of what awaits the England side as he feels players are underprepared and lack practice.
India haven't lost a Test series at home in over a decade now -- the last time India lost a series was in 2012 against England.
“Frankly I’d be a little bit terrified if I was playing. Most of the guys haven’t played any long form cricket since July. Very few of the squad were involved a great deal in the rundown of the County Championship which finished at the back end of September. We’re now three months down the road with nobody having had any sort of middle practice at all," said Butcher on the Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast.
"I would be a little bit concerned about not having felt that competition, being out in the middle and taking guard on something where the runs you make and your wicket are important," he said.
During the home Ashes last year, England went into the series without much match practice and were trailing 0-2 before making a stunning comeback and eventually drew series level.
Butcher however felt that the current side lacks experience and a quality spinner and it will be extremely difficult for Stokes and Co. to repeat the Ashes heroics in subcontinent conditions.
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"They did a similar thing leading into the Ashes series at home during the course of this summer and were 2-0 down before they got going. You certainly couldn’t say for sure that this England side with a lack of experience, or a lack of hot shot spin bowling options in particular, would be in a position to do anything like they did against Australia, coming back from 2-0 down, against this India team who simply do not lose series at home.
“The only thing with it is, it puts you under an enormous amount of pressure should it go badly. People have been delighted with
Bazball
, unbelievably happy with the way England have played under Ben Stokes and it’s been nothing but good vibes and good stories really, barring the odd selection issue from time to time. Everybody believes going to India that you’re unlikely to win a five-Test match series in India right? But what people will be less likely to be gentle about is if you go there without having done the requisite getting ready for it and then get battered. That’s kind of inexcusable," he said.
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