As Jos Buttler’s England face a humiliating early exit out of the Cricket World Cup in India, one of his Lancashire team mates has told MerseysportLive England were on a hiding to nothing because of their lack of meaningful preparation.
The reigning 50 over and T20 World Champions had high hopes for the defence of their title in India, but four losses in five leave them hanging on by a thread.
England had been hot favourites coming into the tournament, but disappointing defeats to New Zealand, Afghanistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka have created more questions than answers over what has gone wrong.
The holders have been comprehensively beaten in all of their losses so far. They were dismantled by New Zealand in the first game, losing by nine wickets. They were humbled by lowly Afghanistan by 69 runs after a huge collapse. South Africa and Sri Lanka both won with ease.
Young Lancashire bowling all-rounder Tom Aspinwall who made his breakthrough in the Metro Bank One Day Cup this summer believes: “England don’t play enough one day cricket, It doesn’t get enough love, between the 2015-2019 period England played nearly 100 one day internationals whereas since the 2019 World Cup they have only played 44. The players had just four games in September against New Zealand to gel together and prepare for the tournament hardly enough time when some players including Gus Atkinson who has had just six List A games and Harry Brook had only six games of one day cricket”.
The introduction of the Hundred has stalled the best players in England getting regular 50 over games as the one-day cup takes place at the same time as the Hundred. The former England under 19 star thinks: “The Hundred is the closest thing to international cricket in England so that should be the priority, but I feel England’s selection is based off T20 form but if they were playing more 50 over games all year round the selection would be better and the players would have a clearer way of playing.”
None of England’s World Cup squad played any Metro Bank One Day Cup matches, hardly ideal before defending their title. England’s last one day series on foreign soil was against Bangladesh in March.
“I think Metro Bank One Day Cup is really good for inexperienced players development especially at the bigger counties when there is less opportunity for the younger more inexperienced guys. Some of the young prospects have made their breakthroughs playing List A cricket while the hundred has been going on.” The squad out in India is very experienced but a lack of the one-day format has left England looking very raw.
The Lancashire quick said: “ We young players would also improve with some more experienced guys playing with us. Whether its possible to fit all three formats in at different times of the summer is something that could be looked at.”
