'Just Because We Lost Against AFG'...: Bairstow 'Issues Warning' Ahead of SA Clash

England lost their last WC Clash against Afghanistan [AP Photo]

England, the reigning titleholders, had a terrible beginning in the ICC World Cup 2023. They appeared like a mere reflection of their past glory, suffering two heavy defeats against New Zealand and Afghanistan and just scraping together one victory.  

Both their batting and bowling departments have looked in a state of turmoil in the tournament so far. This surprising string of failures is making everyone wonder if the Three Lions can bounce back and keep their title defence on track.  

South Africa is on England's radar for their next match, scheduled for Saturday, October 21, at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium. Jonny Bairstow, the wicketkeeper-batter, has shared his thoughts on England's tournament journey leading up to this important game. 

Bairstow expressed confidence in his team and reminded everyone about their T20 World Cup win in 2022 and the 2019 World Cup victory, to show they are no slouches. He made it clear that one loss against Afghanistan should not knock them down from their ‘defending champions’ status. 

Here’s what Jonny Bairstow told the media: 

“There’s a reason why the guys won the T20 World Cup last year; there’s a reason why the guys won the 2019 World Cup, and we’re the defending champions. Just because we’ve lost a game to Afghanistan doesn’t make us bad cricketers or anything like that."

Bairstow kicked off the tournament with a 33-run win against New Zealand and followed it up with a solid half-century against Bangladesh. However, he failed against Afghanistan, only scoring two runs. As he gears up for the upcoming match against South Africa, he'll be aiming to set the tone for his team. 

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