Former England pace spearhead Darren Gough has branded the current lot of players as a bunch of schoolboys and has slammed the selectors and captain Alastair Cook for their series loss against Sri Lanka.
Gough launched a ferocious attack on England's selectors as preparations for the World Cup in the New Year continue to go from bad to worse.
England lost by 87 runs in Colombo on Tuesday to lose the series against Sri Lanka 5-2 and would now return home before heading down under in January for a tri-series ahead of their World Cup opener against Australia on February 14, News.com.au reported.
Skipper Cook has come in for particular criticism, having not recorded an ODI half-century in 10 attempts, and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) managing director Paul Downton admits that the skipper has had a terrible time over the past month.
However, Gough, while admitting Cook must take some of the blame, has turned his fire on the selection panel of national selector James Whitaker, head coach Peter Moores, Angus Fraser and Mick Newell.
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Gough said that England are one of the top sides in the world with the players they've got, but added that they're playing like a bunch of schoolboys. He added that they've got no serious plan, and the player who's stopping them having a plan is Cook.
Gough claimed that Cook is a great bloke and he is not going to slag him off, but added that they have just lost a series and the selectors keep saying that the skipper is the man to lead England.
The former pace express stated that it doesn't matter what Cook is like as a captain off the field, adding that as a one-day unit they are not good enough and the skipper is at the top of it.
Gough claimed that the selectors should hang their heads in shame, adding that they should be put in the stocks and have apples thrown at them. He stated that it's a disgrace they keep picking the same team.
Gough claimed that they should let him pick a team, adding that they should ring him up and he would pick a team to go to the World Cup.
