Kevin Pietersen criticises Ben Stokes' "craziness" ahead of must-win Ashes Test

28 June 2023 , 06:00

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Kevin Pietersen has criticised Ben Stokes' captaincy in the first Ashes Test (Image: Philip Brown/Popperfoto/Popperfoto via Getty Images)

England legend Kevin Pietersen believes captain Ben Stokes has put "unnecessary pressure" on his side heading into the second Ashes Test at Lord's, branding his declaration in the first Test "craziness".

Stokes declared on day one at Edgbaston with England 393-8 and Joe Root unbeaten on 118 and his decision has come in for criticism after Australia went on to take a 1-0 lead in the series, narrowly winning the Test by two wickets. Although Stokes defended his decision after the match, insisting he would do it again if England were in a similar position at Lord's, Pietersen believes it has put them under immense pressure ahead of a Test they "just have to win".

"Lord's isn't a great place for England," Pietersen said in his latest column for Betway. "It's always a wonderful atmosphere, but it normally gets the away team buzzing. Everybody wants to be on the honours board, and they focus on what they need to do to get onto that board.

"The pressure's on England. What England have done, unfortunately, is put unnecessary pressure on themselves by declaring too early in the first Test. That is craziness because of the pressure that they're now under going into the second match. They just have to win this Test."

However, Pietersen's former teammate Steve Harmison has defended Stokes' declaration, admitting he would have made the same call had he been captain. "On day one, you do want to score as many as you possibly can but I don't think Ben Stokes would have declared if they were six down," Harmison told OnlineCricketBetting.

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"I've got no doubt whatsoever that Stokes wouldn't have declared if they were six wickets down. He declared because they were eight down with a view that getting six overs at David Warner, I would have taken that gamble as well. But a bit of time wasting, a no ball at the end of the fourth over, which cost them an extra over in that evening's play.

“If England had batted for another 15 more minutes, then lost two wickets in two balls, Joe Root would have been stranded and that would have been the end of the day's play. They would have come off, England would have lost ten minutes with the innings changeover, and Warner would have had a huge sigh of relief.

Warner and [Usman] Khawaja didn't want to go out there for ten minutes. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but in the moment, when you've got to make a decision; England getting potentially another 20 more runs or England potentially getting David Warner out, I'd have taken getting Warner out every single day of the week with the narrative of Stuart Broad to Warner.

Steve Harmison, however, has defended Stokes (2019 Getty Images)

"I didn't have a problem with the declaration, and the declaration was not mentioned when Marnus Labuschagne was walking past, 29 for two, on day two, no one mentioned the declaration then so if you look at ifs and buts, if England had not declared, and batted on for twenty minutes the next morning, the game finished with four overs to go, if the game had been lengthened by England scoring another 20 runs, Australia needing to go on that little bit further, after day three we'd have all been talking about how it was a boring draw.

"That rain delay on day four, day five's rain delay, we would all definitely be talking about a boring draw and whether or not it's good for Test cricket. The decision that Stokes made, forget being good for Test cricket, he thought it was the right thing to do for the England cricket team to win and take an advantage.

"I didn't have a problem with it and I don't have a problem with the way this side plays. They take a huge amount of risks and they do make massive mistakes but for me, if you keep thinking that way and you keep playing that way, you've got more of a chance of winning than losing because you'll always be on the front foot.

"Australia were on the back foot for the majority of the Test. They got over the line by a nose, right at the end of the game, it was the perfect game plan from Australia's point of view. I'd say from England's point of view, the only thing I'd have a go at them for is executing their shots better, and executing their plans better. That for me is the only thing I'm going to knock this team for."

Matthew Cooper