News not good for India, according to Boycott

Geoffrey Boycott has some bad news for prospective Indian openers - they're not up to it! In his mind at least.

Boycott was in India last week shooting some television shows and took time out to tell the Times of India that all those queuing up for the job might as well all go home. They didn't have it in them. They were all "crap", as he put it.

"Yuvraj Singh for instance, didn't last long enough for me to watch him bat. I reached the ground five minutes late he was gone. The guys don't have the footwork and the technique. Do you think they can handle McGrath, Lee and Gillespie in Australia?" Boycott asked.

He said there was too much pretension in Indian cricket and very little serious work. The need to groom players for roles meant starting with players in their teens. By the time they reached their 20s you couldn't change their techniques, he said.

The news didn't get any better in relation to India's prospects for their Australian tour later in the year. Having the right ingredients was the key to success in Australia and that involved having three sound openers and three genuine fast bowlers.

"I am sorry, India doesn't have them. It's not only in Australia alone. Look what happened to them in New Zealand. Take it from me, India will never win an overseas tour except in Sri Lanka unless the above issues are addressed," Boycott said.

And if Sourav Ganguly was in the mood for some advice from Boycott, he should put away the hook shot and practice his ducking. While Ganguly had never had the best batting technique, he made up for it with his big heart and excellent hand-to-eye co-ordination.

"My advice to him is don't hook at all and just keep ducking. That way he's going to tire the bowlers. Take it from me, no batsman enjoys playing pacers, it's just that some play it better."

Boycott did acknowledge India's next opponents, New Zealand, third-ranked on the International Cricket Council's Test ladder. "I admire the New Zealanders. They work hard at their game and do basics right. They make up for the lack of talent with their tremendous mental strength," he said.