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England, initially considered as a strong contender in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, have fallen far from that reputation. The defending champions now find themselves on the brink of elimination from the semifinal race after suffering their fourth consecutive loss, this time against India at Lucknow.
In a comprehensive display of dominance, the hosts outplayed Jos Buttler‘s team in every aspect of the game, handing them their fifth defeat in the ongoing tournament.
The underwhelming performance of the defending champions has raised concerns among former cricketers and fans, who are now questioning the team’s commitment to the highly prestigious event.
The latest addition to the chorus of critics is former Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, who has strongly criticized England for their lackluster approach.
Shoaib Akhtar’s critical remarks on England’s batting
After the India vs England clash, Shoaib highlighted the critical flaws in England’s batting approach, emphasizing that their defeat resulted from blending T20 tactics into ODIs. The 48-year-old pointed out the absence of a structured plan for building innings, differentiating roles, and executing the balance between run accumulation and aggressive slogging.
“India have beaten England very badly,” Akhtar said on his YouTube channel. “England got defeated badly because they are playing such a brand of cricket where they are bringing T20 cricket into ODIs. There is no planning on who will build an innings, who will play at a run-a-ball, who will construct an innings and who will slog,” said Akhtar in a video shared on X (formerly Twitter).
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Shoaib Akhtar’s critical assessment of ‘Bazball’
Expressing his lament at England’s exit from the World Cup, Akhtar shared his thoughts on the ‘Bazball’ concept, a signature model that has come to define English cricketing style in recent years.
“I am very sad to see England heading out of the World Cup. Bazball is fine in Test matches, but you have to play an ODI like an ODI,” the Rawalpindi express added.
