"Biggest load of b******s" - Ian Botham blasts England's rotation policy

Ian Botham made a no-holds-barred attack on England's contentious rest-and-rotation policy on Sunday. The legendary all-rounder called it 'the biggest load of b******s', adding that he would not have liked someone ordering him to take a rest after a couple of good Tests during his playing days.

England's rotation policy, devised to manage the workload of multi-format players, got underway before the tour of Sri Lanka earlier this year. However, since then, it has repeatedly forced the team to present second-string sides for crucial Test matches, leading to defeats against India and New Zealand.

Ian Botham gruffly brushed aside the need for workload management, saying athletes should look to get and stay fit by playing more and more games.

"I am not sure we are picking the right players. Rotation, I think, is the biggest load of b******s of all time. Absolute garbage. I tell you what, I would like to have seen someone say to me when I was playing "well done, but you’re having a rest next game". Er no I’m not. Bowl, get fit and stay fit by bowling," Ian Botham was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.

England Test captain Joe Root has signalled that the team is ready to move on from the ‘rest and rotation' policy ahead of their series against India. pic.twitter.com/pNlHhgdvlg

— ICC (@ICC) July 1, 2021

England captain Joe Root recently suggested that his team is past the controversial program. He confirmed that England will put their best players on the park for the upcoming Pataudi Trophy against India as well as the Ashes in Australia later this year.

"Got what they deserved against New Zealand" - Ian Botham

Ian Botham in action at the 1992 World Cup. Although he played for England the following summer it was his last hurrah on the big stage. He took 16 wickets at 19.12 and scored 192 runs at 21.33. Perhaps inevitability, he saved his best for the Australia game - 53 and 4 for 31 pic.twitter.com/ZmX2ewucpL

— Historic Cricket Pictures (@PictureSporting) June 28, 2021

Ian Botham also slammed the team for their 1-0 loss against New Zealand. He said their decision to draw the Lord's Test by not chasing a competitive target of 273 from 75 overs wasn't the best for Test cricket, adding that the series defeat was 'what they deserved'.

"I think our batting is a big worry. Last month, England had a great opportunity at Lord’s when they were given the opportunity of a last-day run chase against New Zealand. People had been waiting for months and months to see live sport and to go out and bat like that in the final innings with no intent was appalling.

"I thought ‘you guys need to wake up a bit, you rely on the public’. Their reason for why they didn’t do it was because Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes weren’t playing. Excuse me. That gives a chance for someone else to come through. I thought it was very weak. They got what they deserved in the end, to be quite frank," added Ian Botham.

England will host India for 5 Tests, starting on August 4 at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.