No surprise so far today. Obviously I want to support England and hope they do well but if you play consistently badly then you deserve to regularly lose. Not convinced by the team we selected, not convinced by the decision to bowl first and would now expect we'll have to chase 350+ and will come out "with intent" to be 50-3 after 10 overs. But it's ok because Bairstow will be unhappy and Buttler will talk about how we're hurting and are still in the competition. Our bowlers, as a unit, aren't in the top 5 or 6 in the competition. Our batsmen are but will underperform again because it's just where they are at. Wouldn't mind seeing SA, NZ win it. Anyone but India or Oz really. ps. The current game (it's 120-1 after 18 overs) is already looking like it's going to be embarrassing. They've scored over 100 runs from the last 12 overs and our heads have dropped. We're now just chucking pies.
Would have been nice but this is sadly and predictably embarrassing. Maybe we chase it down, maybe we don't, it doesn't change the fact that our bowling and captaincy is a shadow of what it was 4 years ago. Morgan team would paste these guys by 100 runs without breaking a sweat and it's mostly the same players.
The last 15 overs of our innings will be us paddling it around trying to get over 300 and reduce the damage to our net run rate so we finish 6th rather than 7th. I wish I was joking.
Well we now have to win every remaining game and hope we pip the Aussies to fourth. In other words, no ****ing chance. They should come home now, arrogant ****ers this team is.
BTW, went to the ODI at Cardiff when New Zealand handed us our arses, just like they did in the first game of the world cup, and I couldn't believe how ****e Rhys Toppley actually is. What the **** is he doing anywhere near an England team? He's garbage.
Arrogant is the correct word. There's a few who come across like they've already made it so this is just a free hit - I'd put Bairstow at the top of that list and I generally like him as a player for us but his attitude is trash. Also got too many players out of form who cannot afford to carry (Woakes is done in the 50 over side now for me), add to that some odd selection choices (Livingston is a must for me as his bowling has been good and he adds more depth we clearly need to our batting; personally I'd be playing Ali as well but appreciate that's not as clear). I can see us finishing 6-7th out of 9 easily.
You guys seem to be blaming the players? This is all down to the ECB. It's been coming for a while and this will be the end of England as a top 50 over side unless the domestic scene is changed, again.
They're so clearly badly prepared and thought they could turn up just win these games. They scheduled friendlies against Ireland at home in September, so not even close to replicating the world cup conditions. They were all then rained off anyway. Appreciate they are away for a long time, but if you want to win it then that's what you've got to do, go early and get used to the conditions. That's not the players necessarily, but I'd be surprised if they didn't have a say in not wanting to go to India too early. And then the captaincy has been absolutely piss poor, and some odd selections. Has Root scored any significant runs of late? He's in the team just in case, no other reason. Certainly not current form.
Gettable total and they still **** it up. Root should be nowhere near a one day side, he just can't play the right tempo.
Form comes and goes but we're carrying too many players who are wildly out of form. Bairstow, Root, Stokes and Buttler are all currently passengers as regards their batting. Malan is bang average but less to blame than most. I'd agree about Root mostly because Malan is already there and it's one or the other for me and for 50 overs it should have just been Malan. Pick two players from that top 6 to keep (I'd say Livingston and Buttler) and then chuck in the likes of Crawley, Salt, etc. Our bowlers are below par anyway, can honestly see 10 of that squad retiring in the next 12 months from 50 overs cricket and what annoys me is that whilst the likes of some of those above have got so many plaudits over the past few years the only current player we have who is irreplaceable is clearly Adil Rashid. A world class player amongst some very good ones.
Well the inevitable was confirmed today but I think the critics may be too harsh, every time I've seen England in the World Cup they've looked like the second best team in it...
Afghanistan looking like a proper team, now. Still in with a shot of making the semi finals if they can beat Australia here. Good start and wickets in hand but Australia strangling them a bit. Trott has worked wonders with these since he’s been coaching the Afghans, pretty much makes up for the invasion tbh.
