With England's World Cup In Tatters, Might They Go Back To The Future To Look For A Solution?
England have faced four losses in this World Cup 2023 (AP Photo)
It is perhaps fitting that this latest chapter in England’s ODI World Cup disintegration should have taken place in Bengaluru. It was here, in 2011, when England rattled up a decent 327 against Ireland, only to run into Kevin O’Brien’s battering ram. Eion Morgan didn’t play that day against his former Irish countrymen, but did later in that tournament when Sri Lanka drubbed England by 10 wickets, the second in what is now a series of five straight World Cup wins against them. Not for a moment in Bengaluru yesterday did this 2023 England look able to arrest the 21st century dominance that Sri Lanka over them in the competition. Where the Sri Lankan Lion roared, England’s Three Lions barely whimpered, more akin to a limping gazelle, detached from the herd, easy meat to be brought down then ripped apart.
Eion Morgan went on to lead the post 2015 white ball revolution that culminated in the 2019 World Cup triumph. Now that the crown has slipped irretrievably from their grasp, investigations will be made, souls searched and scapegoats scapegoated, but when the dust settles, don’t bet against Eion Morgan making a return to the England fold at the behest of the ECB, desperate to rediscover the sense of vision and belief so lamentably lost.
From the chastening defeat to New Zealand, England have never looked certain how they wanted to attack this World Cup defence. The clarity of approach that once characterised them has been replaced by timidity and indecision. It is no coincidence that before today, England and their opponents had made more changes to their elevens than anyone else. Cause and effect, as difficult to unravel as chicken and egg. Five changes in four matches for England, became eight from five as they reverted to all-rounders Moeen Al and Liam Livingstone, with David Willey to replace the unfortunate Harry Brook, Sam Curran and the injured Topley.
The only moment of true certainty came when Jos Buttler won the toss and chose to bat, the horror of consecutive disasters against Afghanistan and South Africa fresh in his mind. A third decision to field would have been unthinkable given the decent batting conditions.
Initially, England showed few signs of the horrors to come, although Jonny Bairstow should have gone from the very first ball, proven on replay to be out LBW but not reviewed. After that, he and Malan began to punish some occasionally wayward Sri Lankan bowling, but from the moment the returning 36-year-old Angelo Mathews had Malan nicked behind, there seemed an inevitability to England’s demise.
This was compounded by low confidence, distracted minds and pure sloppiness. Root was smartly run out by a sharp throw from Mathews, sent back from a single that was never there and when Bairstow holed out, England’s pack of cards toppled. Only Ben Stokes’ with determined, but hesitant resistance, stood between them and an even greater disaster and he had to have a slice of luck to get to his 43. No dismissal better epitomised England’s collective malaise than that of Adil Rashid smartly run out by an alert Kusal Mendis while dozily backing up.
Hopes that a shell-shocked England might somehow pull off a miracle in the field, although temporarily raised by the early wickets of the two Kusals, Perera and Mendis, quickly turned to dust, along with their World Cup defence. Pathum Nissanka and Sadeera Samarawickrama saw Sri Lanka home in a full eight overs less than it had taken England to reach their sorry 156. The comprehensive finality with which Nissanka applied the coup de grâce, launching Rashid over long-on a fitting climax.
With just one win in five, this has been the worst ever start to a title defence in World Cup history, surpassing the two wins in five registered by Australia in 1992 and Sri Lanka in 1999. How, England fans will be asking, has it come to this? With the benefit of hindsight, they may well reflect that perhaps this really was not such a surprise at all.
England are an aging side that is very publicly reaching the end of their end of its road. Every single one of the team humbled by Sri Lanka were over 30 years of age. The Times reports that not since the 1921 Ashes Test at Headingly have England fielded such an aged eleven. On that occasion, Lord Tennyson’s team fell to a 216-run defeat, although the ravages of war and the absence hurt of Jack Hobbs provided some mitigation.
From the outset, England’s campaign has seemed poorly prepared and built upon the shakiest of foundations. None of this team will have played domestic 50 over cricket in 2023, that competition now demoted to make way for the Hundred and internationally, opportunities to blood new talent and experiment are woefully limited. Not for nothing did Mathew Mott allude to being left guessing in team selection.
The discussion and awarding of central contracts being finalised for a struggling, underperforming team in the midst of their World Cup travails defies any logic and serves merely to underline the muddled thinking that has bled onto the pitch.
On Sunday against a rampant India, England may well introduce Brydon Carse, unavailable yesterday having just arrived without any match practice to replace Topley. At the same time, Jofra Archer who has been the travelling replacement in India has headed the other way, deemed still unfit. No wonder England fans howl in despair and frustration!
Whilst the inability of Jason Roy to prove fitness or form and the necessity to include Ben Stokes only to lose him to injury for the first three matches have contributed to the lack of clarity and uncertainty, some selections have defied logic, particularly in the bowling department where both Woakes and Curran have so evidently struggled.
In 2015, England placed their white ball future in the hands of a man whose leadership and clarity of approach took them to the very peak of the game. As the ECB struggle to balance the challenges of global franchise domination with creating a winning team, might they go back to future and look to Eion Morgan again as coach or manager?
 "Tony Bishop")
