Australian pace legend Glenn McGrath has called out the work ethic of English bowler Jofra Archer, after the 24-year-old's fluctuant performances throughout this year's Ashes series.
Barbadian-born Archer was drafted in to make his debut in the second Test and was lauded for the way he went after the Aussies at Lords, which he then followed up with a 6-45 spell in the third Test at Headingley.
However, since then Archer has failed to make a dent, taking 3-142 in the fourth Test at Old Trafford, where Australia retained the Ashes with a relentless performance.
In a column for BBC, a fired up McGrath took aim at Archer for his indifferent effort, and suggested only Ben Stokes and Stuart Broad can be proud of their efforts for England this series.
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"A lot has been made of Jofra Archer but you can't just fire it up when things are good," McGrath wrote.
"You've got to do the hard yards as well, and I'm yet to see him do the hard yards.
“England have basically been held together by (Ben) Stokes and (Stuart) Broad.
“Take them out of this team and they have been belted by Australia in this series.”
McGrath then made an example of Australia's dominant quicks Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, and suggested Archer should observe the pair for how they go about their business.
"I talked to Virat Kohli when India toured Australia last year and he said Cummins gave him more trouble than any other bowler," McGrath stated.
"Hazlewood missed the first Test at Edgbaston. He came in and did OK at Lord's. But at Headingley and Old Trafford he was exceptional.
"He picked up those three quick wickets after Cummins' spell on day three and gets a bit more bounce than his fellow fast bowler.
"But both bowl fast in such good areas and give the batsmen no bad balls to work with. They are complete bowlers."
It's not the first time Archer has been subject to public criticism for his mixed form since his Lords debut, with English media questioning his fluctuant pace across the three Tests in which he featured.
England has named an unchanged squad for the fifth and final Test of the series at The Oval, which begins on September 12th.
