England’s dismal showing at the World Cup has been met with shock back home and marks theendofabrilliantera, according to former captain NasserHussain.
A crushing defeat by Sri Lanka on Thursday left the defending champions ninth outof10 in the standings and with almost no chanceofreaching the semi-finals.
Englandhave lost fouroftheir five matches, including one against Afghanistan, and face in-form India on Sunday.
It is a far cry from 2019 when Eoin Morgan’sEnglandwon the World Cup in an unforgettable final against New Zealand and the post-mortem has begun in earnest.
“We are talking about some of the greatest players in our white-ball history but this has just turned out to be a bridge too far for some of them,” Hussain told Sky Sports.
“I wouldn’t have changed the side before this tournament but I would definitely be thinking about changing it now because it does feel like theendofanera.
“That doesn’t take anything away from what thisEnglandside have achieved. We can be all doom and gloom andsay’get ridofthe lotofthem’ but they have given us six or seven yearsofabsolutelybrilliantwhite-ballcricket.”
Questions are being asked aboutEngland’s preparationforthe tournament and whether the lackof50-overcricketplayed by the team’s key players undermined their chancesofretaining their title.
Ben Stokes has not played a 50-over match inEnglandsince 2014 while captain Jos Buttler, whose position is coming under scrutiny, has not since 2016.
Hussain, however,saysblaming the amountofT20cricketnow being played rather than the 50-over format is a cop-out.
“Wesayhow great they are when they win two World Cups but when the wheels come off some blame the structureofEnglishcricket,” he said.
“I’ve heard people at home are doing that but this is not the faultofthe Hundred or the Blast or the factEngland’s best players do not play much 50-overcricket. They are lame excuses.”
(Published 27 October 2023, 10:56 IST)