ENGLAND FLY WHITE FLAG

Planning blamed for failure

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ENGLAND have finally admitted that they were left short on preparation and game time for the 2023 World Cup as their tournament unravelled against South Africa.

A heaviest-ever defeat in ODI cricket was the end result, but the seeds for it were sown by a schedule and strategy that effectively turned its back on the 50-over game the day after the last World Cup was won.

With a shiny trophy safely stowed away in the ECB offices at Lord's, eyes and heads were turned elsewhere with the march of T20 cricket and The Hundred eclipsing any other white-ball cricket also in the And with the Test team demanding a shake-up intervening period, the 50-over game did not get the attention that was needed to mount a serious title defence in India.

The hope that the players would either be able to fall back on their experience or talent to get them through without a coherent team or strategy has been brutally exposed.