'I wish I’d played against these poor modern-day teams' - World’s oldest living Test cricketer on decline in standards

Published - 06 Jan 2026, 20:25 IST | Updated - 06 Jan 2026, 20:38 IST

Undated: Neil Harvey the veteran batsman of Australia in action. Mandatory Credit: Adrian Murrell/Allsport

The 97-year-old Neil Harvey, the oldest living Test cricketer, recently shared his views on the declining standards of the sport, especially in the longest format.

Harvey, who played 79 Tests for Australia, slammed England's approach as a batting unit in the red-ball format. During the ongoing Ashes, the Three Lions' batters have been questioned for their lack of application and indifferent shot selection. Harvey said that he also preferred scoring runs quickly, but when the opposition is as strong as Australia, the England batters could have been better served had they opted for a more calculated approach.

“I’ve been disappointed in England. I think the way they approach the batting side of things, they get too reckless, nobody seems to want to build an innings, like a Cowdrey or a Boycott," Harvey told The Guardian.

“It might work against ordinary teams but when you get a class side like Australia it’s a different ballgame. I used to score runs relatively quickly, and everyone gets a lot of enjoyment out of it, but when you try to play this Bazball thing it takes the odds away from winning an important Test. I’d like to see them pull their hooves in," he added.

Harvey also stated that he wished he had got the chance to play against the modern-day teams, adding that they are not as strong as the opposition line-ups he faced during his time. The Fitzroy-born also mentioned that the bats nowadays give an unfair advantage to the batters.

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“Ashes cricket is holding the game together out here, there are so many poor cricket teams playing international cricket, I only wish I’d have played against them. I think these bats they use today are unfair, you don’t have to hit it any more, all you have to do is flex your wrist and hold your bat there, the ball flies off and goes for four. If you have two even teams playing against each other, the stronger batting side will win.”