England's campaign never truly took off following a disappointing defeat to New Zealand on the opening day in Ahmedabad.
England all-rounder Ben Stokes has reflected on the team's performances in the ongoing 2023 World Cup, where they have shown little indication of being the defending champions. Jos Buttler and his teammates find themselves at the bottom of the table, with only one victory to their name thus far.
England's campaign never truly took off following a disappointing defeat to New Zealand on the opening day in Ahmedabad. Now, they must return to the same venue to face their arch-rivals Australia, who are further aggravating matters by riding high on a four-match winning streak.
The defending champions have encountered issues with their approach, injuries, and form, significantly diminishing their chances of retaining the trophy and potentially even participating in the 2025 Champions Trophy.
"We've had a disastrous World Cup and there's no point sugar-coating that because it's the truth. But we know these last three games, for us, we've got a lot to play for," Ben Stokes said in the pre-match press conference.
"The problem is that we've been c**p. Every opportunity that we've had in front of us where we feel like we can take control of the game, the opposition's managed to get it back towards them. We've been nowhere near good enough to be able to compete in a World Cup, which has been incredibly disappointing because we know we're so, so much better than what we've shown out here," he continued.
Ben Stokes has decided to reverse his retirement from One Day International (ODI) cricket in order to join the England squad for the highly anticipated 2023 ODI World Cup. Unfortunately, he was unable to participate in the opening match due to a minor hip injury, and his performance in the four matches he has played thus far has been underwhelming. Despite his efforts, Stokes has only managed to score a total of 48 runs in the tournament, and his recent dismissal for a duck in England's defeat against India in Lucknow was particularly disappointing.
Looking ahead, England is set to face off against Australia in an exciting day-night encounter on Saturday, November 4th. This match promises to be a thrilling battle between two fierce rivals, and fans can expect an intense display of cricketing prowess from both teams.
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