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Steve Smith's 'felt like Christmas morning' comment should embarrass England: Geoffrey Boycott

Abha Gupta. Dated: 8/14/2019 3:24:27 PM

Geoffrey Boycott said Steve Smith's comment after the first Ashes Test should hurt England players so that they can come up with a better performance in the second match which starts on Wednesday.

Former captain Geoffrey Boycott slammed England players for their inability to get rid of Steve Smith in the first Ashes Test which Australia won by 251 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

Smith, who was adjudged man-of-the-match for scoring two hundreds in that match, was quoted saying "it's like Christmas every day batting against England" after the Edgbaston Test.

"I love Test cricket and I love playing against England. It's a terrific place to play Ashes cricket and these last four days, it's felt like Christmas morning every morning coming to do this," Smith had said.

Smith returned to the Australian Test team after serving out his one-year ball-tampering ban and immediately made his presence felt with scores of 144 and 142 in two innings which helped Australia outclass England despite the conditions at Edgbaston favouring the home team.

Australia's victory at Edgbaston was their first in the opening test of an away Ashes series since 2005.

English bowlers had no answers against Smith and Boycott feels they should be embarrassed at the "Christmas morning" quip from the former Australia captain and come up with better solutions to dismiss him in the next match which will be played at the Lord's cricket ground from Wednesday.

"He was quoted after Edgbaston saying "it's like Christmas every day batting against England". He is right, but a comment like that should be embarrassing for the England players and should really hurt them," Boycott wrote in his column for The Telegraph.

Australia on Tuesday named their 12-man squad for the second Test, leaving out fast bowler James Pattinson.

Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, who was also overlooked for the first Test, made the squad but the left-arm speedster could end up carrying the drinks once the playing lineup is named at the toss. Spearhead Pat Cummins and Peter Siddle retained their places.

Hazlewood is seen as the likeliest replacement based on performances in a tour match against Worcestershire last week.