England's World Cup defence is left in TATTERS as they suffer shock defeat at the hands of Afghanistan... with Jos Buttler's side humiliated in chastening 69-run defeat
- 6 months ago
England's World Cup defense is in tatters after they were humiliated by Afghanistan at the Feroz Shah Kotla. The tournament, it's true, needed a shock to spice things up. But few expected this game to provide it.
A chastening 69-run defeat leaves Jos Buttler's side probably needing to win five of their remaining six games to reach the last four - and South Africa, India, Australia, and Pakistan lie in wait. On this evidence, England will struggle to beat any of them.
This was a glorious night for Afghanistan and a huge feather in the cap of their English coach Jonathan Trott. In 17 previous World Cup matches, their only victims had been Scotland. To humble the world champions is on another level.
Such was England's ineptitude, however, that it was as if the white-ball revolution set in motion eight years ago by Eoin Morgan never happened.
Where was the cleverness with the ball? The ability to react to circumstances? The relentless aggression with the bat? Buttler has played down the significance of his side's descent to fifth in the rankings. But England's alright-on-the-night mentality has produced two defeats out of three. Their aura is going, if not gone.
The tone was set by the game's opening delivery, in which the increasingly hapless Chris Woakes speared down the leg, and Buttler was allowed to sneak through for five wides.
And it continued as Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz flayed a spectacular 80 off 57 balls before being run out by a horrible call from his captain, Hashmatullah Shahidi. The spinners threatened to tilt the match England's way, only for more sloppiness - including a missed stumping by Buttler - to allow Afghanistan to turn 190 for six into 284.
A chastening 69-run defeat leaves Jos Buttler's side probably needing to win five of their remaining six games to reach the last four - and South Africa, India, Australia, and Pakistan lie in wait. On this evidence, England will struggle to beat any of them.
This was a glorious night for Afghanistan and a huge feather in the cap of their English coach Jonathan Trott. In 17 previous World Cup matches, their only victims had been Scotland. To humble the world champions is on another level.
Such was England's ineptitude, however, that it was as if the white-ball revolution set in motion eight years ago by Eoin Morgan never happened.
Where was the cleverness with the ball? The ability to react to circumstances? The relentless aggression with the bat? Buttler has played down the significance of his side's descent to fifth in the rankings. But England's alright-on-the-night mentality has produced two defeats out of three. Their aura is going, if not gone.
The tone was set by the game's opening delivery, in which the increasingly hapless Chris Woakes speared down the leg, and Buttler was allowed to sneak through for five wides.
And it continued as Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz flayed a spectacular 80 off 57 balls before being run out by a horrible call from his captain, Hashmatullah Shahidi. The spinners threatened to tilt the match England's way, only for more sloppiness - including a missed stumping by Buttler - to allow Afghanistan to turn 190 for six into 284.