Kevin Pietersen's 'shambolic' England rant in full at Lord's: 'This is not Ashes cricket'

Former England star Kevin Pietersen didn't hold back in his scathing assessment of England's performance on the opening day of the second Ashes Test at Lord's, as Australia took control with their formidable batting display. Pietersen, who had the honor of ringing the bell before play commenced, expressed his disappointment with England's bowling efforts after the tourists ended the day at 339 for five.

Despite some late breakthroughs by part-time spinner Joe Root, who claimed two wickets in four balls, the scoreboard could have been even more unfavorable if not for unforced errors resulting in the dismissals of Travis Head and Cameron Green. Although the presence of live green grass and gloomy overhead clouds seemed favorable for England's five-strong seam attack, it was the Australian batsmen who dominated proceedings, with half-centuries from David Warner (66), Travis Head (77), and Steve Smith (85 not out) putting them in a commanding position.

Pietersen, with 104 international caps to his name, didn't mince his words, stating: "Not a lot's caught my eye from an English perspective, it's been shambolic. Absolutely shambolic."

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He criticised England's bowlers for their lackluster pace, saying: "You have overhead conditions, you have wickets that suit your bowlers, and you've got bowlers running in at 78, 79, 80 miles an hour."

Expressing his discontent with the team's demeanor, Pietersen continued: "Now it's one thing walking here, swanning around, saying 'this is a wonderful team to play in, we're creating the best environment'. But this is not Ashes cricket."

Pietersen also took issue with the apparent lack of