'Virat Kohli Spends Four Hours Running Around in the Field And Then...': Michael Vaughan Advices England Players to Work on Fitness

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has advised Jos Buttler and Co to look at Virat Kohli and work on their fitness for the 50-over game.

Defending World Champions England had a forgettable 2023 WC campaign as they failed to qualify for the semi-final. England, who entered the tournament as one of the favourites, finished 7th on the points table with just three wins

Several star players including skipper Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root and Liam Livingstone failed to create any impact as England had a lacklustre tournament.

Follow all the action from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 including the World Cup schedule, World Cup 2023 results, and ICC Cricket World Cup points table. Players are vying to top the World Cup 2023 Most Runs and World Cup 2023 Most Wickets charts. 

Vaughan suggested that the carefree attitude is good for the ‘Bazball’ in Test cricket but to succeed in ODIs, the English players need to follow the fitness routine of Kohli who is an absolute master of the game.

“This relaxed, carefree attitude of the Bazballers has been great but it should not roll into white-ball games. In white-ball cricket you have to be fit, running between wickets and in the outfield. Look at Virat Kohli. He spends four hours running around in the field and then goes and bats for 3-4 hours and masterminds the chase. That is fitness,” Vaughan wrote in a column for The Telegraph.

Kohli has been the trendsetter as he brought the fitness revolution in the Indian cricket during his captaincy tenure.

England looked unsettled and unprepared for the tournament.

Meanwhile, early defeats by New Zealand and Afghanistan led England to abandon their policy of picking a side full of all-rounders, only for team management to then reverse course as they struggled to find a winning formula.

Vaughan said that the England team has to set the benchmarks in fitness and the team managing director Rob Key has to make sure that they are going back to the old days.

“English cricket has to set benchmarks and fitness is hugely important for discipline. It shows discipline in life if you are fit and looking after yourself, getting in the gym, pounding the treadmill and doing your miles. Cricket is a running game. I hope Key and the team behind the scenes are making sure that is important and not going back to the old-school days,” he added.