‘Can’t believe this’: Mark Waugh dumbfounded by fresh Poms excuse

Australian cricket great Mark Waugh has been left dumbfounded over an excuse offered up over why England have fallen apart on tour.

The excuses for England’s horror tour of India just won’t stop mounting.

Ben Stokes’ men had hoped to end the five-Test series on a high note after falling behind 3-1 through the opening four Tests.

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But as we’ve seen far too often, the reasoning behind the losses are spun into a positive manner and not reflective of what we’ve all just watched unfold.

It’s the Bazball way.

Now the latest offering has come courtesy of former English skipper Alastair Cook who dished up an excuse that left Australian great Mark Waugh in disbelief.

Speaking during the lunch break on the second day of play in the fifth Test, Cook gave reasoning as to why the Poms were looking like a shell of themselves.

“There is a little bit of the human element which comes into play,” Cook said on TNT Sports.

“We all sit here now away from the emotion of the game, we sit here at home watching telly.

“These guys, and I’m not defending England, but they have been away for getting on to eight weeks.

“It’s a tough tour and they aren’t robots. I’m not defending their performance but there is a human element of wanting to get home to get out of the pressure.

“We kind of forget that don’t we. The human element now of a player going through the next couple of days is incredibly tough.”

Alastair Cook "We are sitting here away from the emotions of the game. We are sitting here at home watching the telly. I am not defending England but they have been away for getting on eight weeks. It’s a tough tour they’re not robots "pic.twitter.com/YXhEvOocrA

— Sujeet Suman (@sujeetsuman1991) March 8, 2024

Those comments from the former skipper left Waugh incredulous and questioning what he had just listened to.

“I can’t believe I’m hearing this from Alastair Cook,” Waugh wrote on X.

“As an international cricketer this is what you train for and get paid for. This is a one of the best tours as an international cricketer you can go on.”

Waugh wasn’t alone in calling out the excuse offered up by Cook with cricket fans far and wide blasting the former England captain.

One fan wrote: “Yes it’s the first time any team has gone out of their country to play cricket. These poms r a laughing stock.”

Another added: “Rubbish totally rubbish! When they play for leagues they are away for months, but when it is your national duty you are giving a foolish excuse!”

Things are ugly for the Poms. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

Things have only gone from bad to worse for England with Indian intent on ending the series in demoralising fashion.

Despite holding a 3-1 series advantage, the locals haven’t taken their foot off the gas as they ran riot with the willow in hand during the second day of play.

After England collapsed to be all out for 218 on day one in Dharamsala, India delighted their home fans with a brutal display.

Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill unleashed on the English attack with both men registering centuries as India reached 8/473 at stumps.