Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar expressed his disappointment with the defending champions England’s performance in the ongoing Cricket World Cup. He lambasted England’s team loss to a flawed strategy, criticizing England’s approach of trying to incorporate a shorter format approach into an ODI format, which he believed led to the team’s failure in the marquee event.
After losing five matches out of their six games so far, England are now sitting at the last position in the points table. Although there are still slim mathematical chances for the defending champions to make it to the semi-finals, The England team needs to be at their absolute best to make it into the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan.
Speaking on his YouTube Channel, Former Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Akhtar has recently shared his thoughts on England’s poor performance in the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023. According to him, the team’s batting lineup lacks planning and strategy, which has contributed to their disappointing campaign.
“India have beaten England very badly, England got defeated badly because they are playing such a brand of cricket where they are bringing T20 cricket into ODIs. There is no planning on who will build an innings, who will play at a run-a-ball, who will construct an innings, and who will slog,” Shoaib Akhtar said.
There’s still a statistical chance that England can go on a run and make an unusual late push for the semi-finals, but their chances of qualifying for the Cricket World Cup are dwindling as they suffer through a miserable defence of their championship in India.
His comments serve as a reminder of the complexities of cricket and the strategic thinking required to excel in different formats of the game. Moreover, his critique of England’s performance provides valuable insights into the dynamics of cricket.
Bazball Is Fine In Test Matches, But You Have To Play An ODI Like An ODI – Shoaib Akhtar
Shoaib Akhtar criticized the Bazball brand of cricket, stating that it may work in test cricket but not in the ODI format. The defending champions batters failed to step up for the team throughout the tournament, which led to their failure in the marquee event.
“I am very sad to see England heading out of the World Cup. Bazball is fine in Test matches, but you have to play an ODI like an ODI,” Shoaib Akhtar added.
The defending champions’ standing in the ICC World Cup 2023 table means they will probably miss the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan in addition to the semi-final qualification and the Jos Buttler-led side will look to turn things around in the remaining games of the marquee event to stand a chance to make into Champions Trophy.