India’s former head coach, Ravi Shastri, criticised England for their heavy loss against India in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. The defending champions have been completely outplayed in the tournament, as England’s side went down without a fight in almost every game barring their lone victory against Bangladesh.
Winning the toss, England started well with the ball picking up three wickets for just 40 runs. However, India recovered with a brilliant 87-run knock from captain Rohit Sharma which helped India to post 229 for 9 in 50 overs.
Despite being the reigning world champions, England looked off-colour, yet many expected them to chase down the target with ease to make a comeback into the tournament but was bundled out for just 129 runs in the game.
While England faced severe criticism for their poor performance in the tournament, Ravi Shastri roasted them, stated about their horrendous performance and questioned their status as world champions, and highlighted the team’s poor performance throughout the ODI World Cup.
“England should be devastated – spectators, supporters. Because the first match which they lost, 17 overs were left in the game when New Zealand beat them. Against South Africa, they got all out in 20 overs. That game ended early. Then they were all out in 30 overs against Sri Lanka, where SL chased the target and finished the match in 25 overs,” Ravi Shastri said.
“Today, they had lost 8 wickets inside 32 overs. You call yourselves World Champions? It means, if they aren’t sad over their performance, who will?” Ravi Shastri questioned.
England has suffered five lopsided losses, They were humiliated by nine wickets by New Zealand in the competition’s opening encounter; they were stunned by 69 runs by Afghanistan; they were devastated by 229 runs by South Africa; and they were beaten by eight wickets by Sri Lanka failing to fulfill the expectations of their around the World.
From Here On, England Will Have To Play For Pride – Ravi Shastri
Ravi Shastri recently commented on the performance of the England cricket team, highlighting the difference in India and England in the points table. He took a dig that with eight teams separating the two countries in the points table, England will now be playing for pride in order to strengthen their chances of qualifying for the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan. This is because only the top eight teams will be able to participate in the ICC event.
“If someone asks what is the difference between India and England, it is of 8 teams”.
“From here on, England will have to play for pride. The reason I am saying that is because right now they are at the bottom of the points table. And in the Champions Trophy which takes place in 2025, only the top 8 teams of the World Cup can qualify.
“So, if England remain in the bottom two, imagine a team like them not playing an ICC tournament as big as the CT would be a huge blow,” Ravi Shastri added.
After suffering their fourth consecutive defeat, England now sits at the bottom of the rankings, even below Bangladesh at position 10. Their net run rate is an abysmal -1.652. England still has three games left to play against Australia, the Netherlands, and Pakistan, and winning these games is crucial for the team to qualify for the Champions Trophy.