Postcards From The Edge Of World Cup Oblivion For Jos Buttler

image-lod3wz3dEngland have been abysmal in 2023 World Cup [AP]

In yet another anguished post-match interview and at a total loss to defend or explain England’s disastrous form, Jos Buttler heaved a sigh and asked for ‘answers on a post card’ if anyone could explain what was happening to England in India.

‘Wish you were here’ is the most traditional post card greeting, in case younger readers need to be informed. That won’t include this England World Cup team which are certainly old enough to know and are playing outdated post card cricket in a world of instant electronic communication. 

If his post cards are sent to Jos from England, then everything about his body language screams out that he would rather be there. Or indeed anywhere, so long as it’s away from the torment and embarrassment of England’s World Cup campaign. 

After another pre-Halloween horror show against tournament favourites India, England sit rock bottom of the World Cup pile. A title defence that had already descended into chaos reached a new low both on and off the pitch. 

2025 Champions Trophy qualification will only be granted to the top 8 teams in this World Cup, with Pakistan qualifying automatically as hosts. It seems unlikely ICC kept this a secret and only decided to announce it publicly to add a frisson of excitement to later stage dead rubber matches, particularly as they claim to have made the decision in 2021. 

Jos Buttler is reported to have claimed he was aware, whereas Mathew Mott England’s coach said he wasn’t. That in itself demonstrates the lack of unity, control and direction as highlighted by Eion Morgan. Quite apart from whether England somehow manage to raise their game to achieve that distinctly modest ambition, it raises even more important questions.

Do England’s management care? Are they committed to the future of the 50 over format at all? Or, as creators of the Hundred, a format that nobody else in the world plays, are they happy to further engineer ‘Crexit’ and absent themselves from a tournament designed to celebrate the excellence of global white ball cricket and bring together to the best of the best. 

The litany of new lows to which England have sunk in this World Cup grows longer as the embarrassments stack up. Defeat in itself to India who are a fearsome proposition on their own patch and are most people’s tournament favourites is not, in itself, a disaster. The manner of it, with the hopeless crumbling of England’s batting after their bowlers had finally found some form when India had to bat first for the only time so far in this World Cup, certainly was. 

With the benefit of a little time since the premature conclusion as England slumped to 129 all out against the hosts, their lowest total so far, there are three images that are likely to stay in the minds of England fans and will be those on the post cards sent to Jos Buttler. 

image-lod3xlbnJos Buttler has been ordinary with the bat [AP]

The first, is that of David Willey, veins popping as he raised both arms, fists clenched and roaring following his dismissal of the talismanic Virat Kohli. No one did more than Willey with his 3 prize wickets for 45 to restrict India to a to a highly chasable total. 

Only the supreme Rohit had kept India from potential disaster and got them to 229, which although modest, was to prove 100 runs too much for England. But Willey, remember, is not only the man who missed out to make way for Jofra Archer in 2019, he is also the only man in this England squad not to receive a central contact. 

As England so publicly and with mystifying tin eared ineptitude announced those contracts to underperforming players mid tournament, many of who are proving here that they are reaching the end of their road, Willey was the man left out. He is the man who has had to watch as Archer, his 2019 nemesis, was sent home deemed unfit to play a part this time around and he is the man who could only watch on helpless for his country’s first two matches, as Sam Curran was selected as the left arm option. 

Curran’s three wickets in his three matches have cost 70 runs apiece. Willey’s five in three matches have come at 27. Getting the prize Kohli wicket is certainly was worthy of celebration of course, but the anger we saw in Willey when he did, was about so much more. 

The second image will be that of Ben Stokes, stumps splayed by Mohammed Shami. Whilst he has proved us wrong before, his ten-ball duck against India and the manner of its end epitomises not just his own, but all England’s efforts with the bat. 

image-lod418eeBen Stokes was castled by Mohammed Shami [AP]

Stokes’ reversed retirement decision and the subsequent contortions England have performed to accommodate it, has patently backfired. Where his focus on reinvigorating England’s Test fortunes as captain under Brendon McCullum has been nothing short of magnificent, his injury hit return to this World Cup has been a distraction. 

 Stokes pushed and prodded at nine balls from Shami and with each, his frustration levels rose. They need not have. Even on a surface with some challenges, 4 ½ runs per over was well within England’s grasp. The tailenders swipe having backed away to leg against one of the world’s best bowlers was bad beyond the belief of all watching. 

It spoke of boiling emotions beyond merely having a tough start against Shami and the resignation with which Stokes departed portrayed a man far from at one with his lot. Spare a thought for Harry Brook as he watched and wondered at life’s injustice as the man bumped to clear the path for Stokes to return. 

Our third post card image has to be Buttler himself. Often criticised as a Test batter, but normally so at home terrifying the very best of attacks in the one-day game. Captain of the World T20 champions as recently as last year. 

All of that swagger on the pitch has gone and his post-match interviews, where he has had to stand and attempt to explain why the World Champions have been so dreadful, have been increasingly harrowing to watch. They betraying a man bereft of belief and for whom the end of his was long since passed . What ever brave platitudes Buttler may utter, his eyes betray the anguish behind them. 

He must surely be overseeing the end of epoch-making era for England’s white ball cricket. And yet, he and his charges have new contracts freshly signed and sealed. That, however, is not a folly of the players making.

Wish you were here Jos.