Cricket great Garry Sobers has admitted to being left bewildered by England's astonishing start to their 2022 home Test season.

England, after winning just one of their 17 previous red-ball internationals, have adopted an aggressive and attacking approach under their new leadership duo of captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, whitewashing Test world champions New Zealand 3-0 and then defeating India in the Covid delayed fifth Test at Edgbaston.

West Indies star Sobers, speaking at the launch of a foundation named after him that has been established to support underprivileged young cricketers, said: "I can't believe what I was seeing in the Tests.

"Flashing bats and people trying to hit fours and sixes every ball," added Sobers, widely regarded as one of cricket's greatest all-rounders and the first man to hit six sixes in a first-class over, off Glamorgan's Malcolm Nash when batting for Nottinghamshire at Swansea in 1968.

"It's good from the spectator's point of view –- rather than dull and boring cricket, pushing it back down the wicket."

But  Sobers, widely regarded as one of cricket's greatest all-rounders, was also renowned for being a fundamentally correct, if supremely elegant, left-handed batsman.

"I do worry about the technical side of the game, though, that it's suffering," he said.

"That's why I enjoy watching Joe Root, he's a hell of a good player," explained Sobers as he paid tribute to the former England captain, the world's top-ranked Test batsman.