England tour of United Arab Emirates 2012

England can't call themselves best Test team: Boycott

Geoffrey Boycott was severe on the English cricket team which had a dismal first test, Boycott was severe on the team and said they can't call them as number one.

Former England captain Geoffrey Boycott has slammed number one Test side England after their 10-wicket defeat in the first Test against Pakistan, saying that England can't call themselves best Test team until they start winning in the subcontinent.

"This England team has not won on the subcontinent. They even played badly in the World Cup last year, which was held in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Until they start playing well on the subcontinent, they cannot call themselves the best team in the world and definitely cannot be judged against some of the other great England sides,"  Geoffrey Boycott wrote for The Sydney Morning Herald.

England have lost the opening Test against Pakistan within just three days, Boycott is surprised that English batsmen have surrendered themselves on the flat track of Dubai.

"I never thought I would see a three-day Test match in the United Arab Emirates. These pitches are slow, flat and good for batting on for long periods. Watching England's two innings gave the impression of a team who had not prepared well and did not have a clue about how to play in the subcontinent," he said.

"Yet we all know this group of players, and their huge number of backroom staff, have been out here for just more than two weeks. They have had time to adjust. A par score on this pitch was more than 350. When England made 192 on the first day, they dug such a big hole for themselves that it was impossible to scramble out," he added.

Boycott, who scored 8114 runs in 108 Tests at an average of 47.72,  feels that England lower middle-order batsman Eoin Morgan is overrated as a Test player. Morgan has scored 24 and 14 in the first Test.

"Eoin Morgan is overrated as a Test cricketer. I know he is a superb one-day batsman but, under pressure in Test matches, he does not cut it. In the first innings, he attempted a premeditated sweep to a straight half-volley. In the second innings, he played back to a half-volley that turned out of the bowlers' footmarks, and all he could do was get a thin edge to the keeper,"

"Making runs in Test cricket is no big deal. Morgan made a century at Edgbaston against India last summer, but everyone was at it then against a poor attack. It is making runs for the team when you are in trouble that is the mark of a quality player," said Boycott.