Former Australian bowler Jason Gillespie believes modern batters are not up to the task. He questioned whether players were willing to work hard to improve their technique.
Both England and Australia struggled to bat in the fourth Ashes at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The batters struggled to stay on the field and form partnerships on a pitch that favored the bowlers.
“The hitting wasn’t as good”
Gillespie criticized the overall batting of both teams, saying that although the conditions were difficult, they were far from unplayable.
“My overriding feeling is that the batting hasn’t been as good as it could have been,” Gillespie said on ABC Sport during the Boxing Day Ashes Test.
“To be honest, I can’t believe what I saw. Yes, there is movement on the surface and a little bit in the air. But I wouldn’t say there are demons on the surface,” he added.
Lack of good practices
Gillespie believes modern hitters play too fast, often mistiming their shots rather than fighting through difficult phases.
“It seems to me that the modern hitter, whenever there’s a lateral movement, there’s this saying ‘there’s one with my name on it so make the most of it’. I’m not sure that’s the right approach,” he noted.
“Are modern batters hitting enough on surfaces that favor bowlers in practice or are they just going to bowl easy pitches rather than a good hard fight in practice?”
According to Gillespie, real improvement only comes from facing challenges and finding solutions. “That’s how you learn, how you find solutions, how you solve problems, how you strategize. We certainly haven’t seen any of that,” he said.
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