Sobers 'cannot believe' England's dashing approach to Test cricket

Cricket great Garry Sobers has admitted to being left bewildered by England's astonishing start to their 2022 home Test season.

England, after winning just one of their 17 previous red-ball internationals, have adopted an aggressive and attacking approach under their new leadership duo of captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, whitewashing Test world champions New Zealand 3-0 and then defeating India in the Covid delayed fifth Test at Edgbaston.

West Indies star Sobers, speaking at the launch of a foundation named after him that has been established to support underprivileged young cricketers, said: "I can't believe what I was seeing in the Tests.

"Flashing bats and people trying to hit fours and sixes every ball," added Sobers, widely regarded as one of cricket's greatest all-rounders and the first man to hit six sixes in a first-class over, off Glamorgan's Malcolm Nash when batting for Nottinghamshire at Swansea in 1968.

"It's good from the spectator's point of view –- rather than dull and boring cricket, pushing it back down the wicket."

But  Sobers, widely regarded as one of cricket's greatest all-rounders, was also renowned for being a fundamentally correct, if supremely elegant, left-handed batsman.

"I do worry about the technical side of the game, though, that it's suffering," he said.

"That's why I enjoy watching Joe Root, he's a hell of a good player," explained Sobers as he paid tribute to the former England captain, the world's top-ranked Test batsman.