Stuart Broad warns of 'jaded minds' as England succumb to South Africa

England have suffered two defeats in three days to South Africa, losing heavily at Headingley before falling narrowly by five runs at Lord's, effectively handing the Metro Bank One-Day International series to the visitors with one game remaining at Southampton on Sunday.

Broad singled out players including Ben Duckett and Joe Root as needing a break, citing the cumulative toll of continuous cricket.

England's series came immediately after the conclusion of The Hundred and a fiercely contested five-Test series against India, leaving little opportunity for recovery.

Several players - Root, Duckett, Harry Brook (captain), Jamie Smith, and Jofra Archer - had been ever-present across these formats, with Archer participating in all three.

"I thought England looked a bit tired. It's understandable, that is not me having a dig," he told Sky Sports Cricket.

"They played 25 days solid, hard cricket against India in the Test series and two days later they were straight into the The Hundred. Now they're playing a white-ball series and the winter is only getting busier.

"Now they have lost this series I would be half-tempted to send Duckett and Root up the M1 (to go home) rather than down to Southampton for the third ODI.

"I think there are some jaded minds. The group look tired. I always look at body language in the field for how it's going and it felt pretty flat. That a bit of a problem."

In response to the mounting fatigue, England have stood these players down from the upcoming T20 tour to Ireland later this month, a decision that Broad believes is overdue given the demands of the schedule.

With the Ashes tour looming in a couple of months, careful management of workloads will be essential to ensure players are both physically and mentally prepared for the high stakes ahead.

Broad's comments underscore growing concerns about England's scheduling and the challenge of maintaining performance levels under sustained pressure.