England are going to play the second Twenty20 in Canberra on Thursday to maintain the hope of saving the draw series after four consecutive losses. But their struggles on the field have been overshadowed by the team’s alleged response to Hartley’s criticism of their fitness levels, which began with their exit from the World Twenty20 in October.
“I said they weren’t as fit as Australia because I wanted them to compete with Australia,” Hartley added. “I want them to be better than Australia, and I want them to win the Ashes and the World Cup. I give my opinion, and I’ve been given the cold shoulder by the England team ever since.”
In response to the row, Jones admitted the squad had fallen short of his own expectations during the Ashes, but denied the players had taken Hartley’s comments personally.
“I don’t think that’s the case,” Jones said. “I think we all respect the commentators’ own opinion and it’s Alex’s job to say how he feels. And I think we all respect that. Hartley is a great person, and we have a lot of love for him in the group. So, I definitely I don’t think so.”
Jones himself was a worthy success in a misfiring batting line-up, making three 30-plus scores in four innings, including an unbeaten 47 in a low-scoring ODI in Melbourne.
“It was particularly hard to take for a number of reasons,” Jones said. “I felt emotionally drained afterwards [because]With obvious mistakes at the end, you definitely feel responsible for the damage. But all the girls and staff support emphasized that long games often don’t come down to a specific moment, so I guess that must have helped.
“I’ve obviously contributed along the way, but as a player, you judge yourself on match-winning contributions. I’ve been lucky to be in a position where I could really help influence some of these games, especially the ODIs, and get the team over the line. I’m disappointed not to be able to. There’s a lot to learn.”
Even with all the series losses, Jones said the squad will stick to the same mantra and approach that has followed since the start of John Lewis’ tenure as head coach, particularly their desire to “inspire and entertain” – traits that have arguably been in short supply in a disappointing campaign.
“We’re still trying to put our best foot forward in practice and in team meetings,” Jones said. “We will be very excited to come out to play tomorrow, and hopefully get some points on the board.
“There was a bit of a reconnection after the second ODI about how we want to play, making sure we’re still trying to inspire and entertain,” he added. “It’s worked really well for us in the past, and it’s something we all connect really well with.
“It brings a fearless style of play, which suits us. I think we’ve drifted away from that a bit, and so it’s important for us to reconnect with that. When we start the game, we play our best. Bowlers Pressure with the bat, and the mentality to take wickets through the field, when all those things come together, we are a very good side.”
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