Latest news with #ChampionsTrophy.England
BBC News
27-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
England need more variety than just 90mph bowlers
Michael Vaughan has questioned England's over-reliance on selecting out-and-out fast bowlers following their group-stage exit from the Champions bowed out of the tournament on Wednesday after losing their must-win clash with Afghanistan by eight Buttler's side fielded three 90mph bowlers – Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Jamie Overton – and just one frontline spinner (Adil Rashid) in their bowling attack, and watched as Afghanistan posted a match-winning total of 325-7 after conceding 113 runs in the final 10 in the tournament, a three-pronged pace attack of Wood, Archer and Brydon Carse leaked 226 runs from 26.3 overs as Australia chased 352 to complete a five-wicket win. However, it's far from a new problem for England, according to Vaughan, who criticised the team's management for taking "their eye off white-ball cricket" since winning the 2019 World Cup and 2022 T20 World failed to defend either title and have been "all over the place" in terms of selection and tactics, according to the former captain, with their need for speed in the bowling attack at the heart of their on the Today Programme, Vaughan added: "There's no left-arm seam bowlers, no left-arm spin, no left-handed batters, [and] we just seem to be all out in terms of pace. I don't know who that person is who's made the decision that it's all about pace in white-ball cricket. "If you ask most batters around the world, of course you don't want to face 90mph, but if there's a place where you'd love to face 90mph, it's in the sub-continent. England have hit both India and [teams] in the Champions Trophy with a huge amount of pace and batters have been deflecting the ball to all parts."Reflecting on England's previous successes with fast-medium bowlers as opposed to out-and-out quicks, he continued: "I'll just go back to the 2019 World Cup final. I know it's different conditions but Chris Woakes and Liam Plunkett got 6-79 [and] they bowl around 82-84 mph. Recently, England have been hell-bent on making sure they're looking for that 90mph bowler."The England Lions tour of Australia – a young chap, Sonny Baker, bowled nicely, he bowled 90mph. He's been given a central contract, or a contract that England can manage."There's a lad at Essex called Sam Cook. He's 27 years' old, he bowls 82mph, he's got 311 wickets in county cricket at an average of 19. He was the pick of the bowlers on the Lions our and he hasn't got that contract."It's a clear decision by the England management that it's all about pace. In the time I've been watching cricket, playing cricket, and involved in English cricket, Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson have been our best two bowlers. They don't bowl at 90mph."
BBC News
25-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Captaincy on line against Afghanistan
England captain Jos Buttler says his future as skipper may be on the line against Afghanistan in the Champions know they must win the Group B match in Lahore on Wednesday to avoid being eliminated from the they to go out it would be a third disappointing white-ball tournament in a row under Buttler after their failed defences of the 50 and 20-over World Cups in 2023 and 2024 respectively."Any time as an England captain, you want to perform well and you want to lead your team to winning games of cricket," said Buttler, who took over as England white-ball captain when Eoin Morgan retired in 2022."We haven't been doing that enough in the recent past."Despite the pressure on him, batter Buttler said he will continue to focus on the positives."As soon as you catch yourself thinking about any negative things, you just try and completely forget that and focus on all of the positive things that could go right and where you can take the team," he said."I'm very much focused on that." England's poor form has not been consigned to major white-ball events. Defeat by Australia in their group opener - when they scored 351-8 but lost by five wickets - was their 11th in 15 one-day internationals since the 2023 World Cup and fifth in a have also lost their past four bilateral series, although Buttler was injured for two of those washout against South Africa means England will be guaranteed to progress to the semi-finals if they beat Afghanistan and the Proteas. Barring more rain affecting results in the group, defeat in either game will eliminate them."We need to make sure we build on the things we did well the other day, try and execute a little better in certain areas as well," Buttler told BBC Sport."Scoring 350 is a great effort and we probably left a few out there, which is a nice sign for the batting unit."With the ball we did a lot of things right but we could have just been a bit more consistent to build the scoreboard pressure."The match will be played at the same ground as England's defeat by Australia, albeit on a fresh recent days, England players have suggested the dew had a significant impact on that match, making conditions easier for batting during Australia's chase - with the advantage possibly worth as many as 60 usually hampers spinners, who are unable to get as much turn from the damp surface or grip a wet ball. Afghanistan have a fearsome spin attack, including world-class leg-spinner Rashid Khan."They are a stiff challenge but we like focus on that and be really well prepared and focus on ourselves individually and collectively performing to the best of our ability to win the game," said Buttler.
BBC News
10-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Trophy win would justify India loss
Opener Ben Duckett says he does not care if England are beaten 3-0 in their one-day series in India, as long as they win the Champions have lost six of their seven matches on Brendon McCullum's first tour as white-ball coach and are already 2-0 down going into the third and final ODI in Ahmedabad on then travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, beginning their campaign against Australia on 22 February."We have come here for one thing and that is to win the Champions Trophy," said Duckett. "We still believe we can do that. It'll be completely different conditions, all different teams we are playing against."If we lose 3-0 to India, I don't care as long as we beat them in the final of the Champions Trophy. If we do that, we probably won't look back on this if we do the business in that Zealander McCullum, who reinvigorated England's Test side, was given control of the white-ball teams after Matthew Mott was sacked last once simultaneously world champions in both limited-overs formats, are looking to rebuild after an awful period which included lacklustre performances at the 50-over World Cup in 2023 and again at the T20 version last first assignment is among the hardest in global white-ball cricket. India - T20 world champions - first beat England 4-1 in the shortest format and, in following up with victory in the ODIs, extended an England winless run in ODI series in that country that stretches back to with Australia, England will meet South Africa and Afghanistan in the group stage of the Champions Trophy, which is being held in Pakistan and Dubai."It's about peaking at the right time," said Duckett. "We have been close against this India side and we have been nowhere near our best. We will always take positives."We could dwell, start meetings and going at each other but the group under Baz aren't going to do that. It's difficult not to get the results here, but hopefully we can turn it around in Pakistan."Batter Tom Banton has now joined the squad in India after Jacob Bethell was ruled out of the tour and the Champions Trophy with a hamstring 26, is expected to be confirmed as Bethell's replacement in the Champions Trophy squad in the coming days.
