Not too long ago, England were one of the teams to look out in ICC events. England completely overhauled their style of play in white-ball cricket and managed to win two ICC trophies on the bounce - the 50 World Cup in 2019 and the T20 World Cup in 2022. Their attacking style of play dreaded even top oppositions like India and Australia. However, since the start of 2023, England have looked a pale shadow of the teams of 2019 and 2022. This time, the Jos Buttler-led side enter the Champions Trophy neither as contenders, nor as the favorites.
Not a lot has changed, as England have managed to play attacking cricket in recent times as well, but the rest of the teams as India, Australia, and South Africa, have caught up with the Three Lions. The team has struggled to strike decisive blows and have often found running out of ideas in crucial moments. Their 'Bazball' approach in ODIs have not yet produced the desired results. Worst, in the CT, England are placed in Group B - Group of Death alongside Australia, South Africa, and Afghanistan.
Head coach Brendon McCullum and Buttler have their task cut out to reach the semi-final stage from Group B. However, England have a lot of questions to solve before CT kicks off.
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England's Selected 15 For ICC Champions Trophy
Jos Buttler (Captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood
Unlike Australia and South Africa, England are not hit hard by injuries as only Jacob Bethall is ruled out of CT due to injury. Tom Banton has replaced the all-rounder, although it remains to be seen if England slot him in the playing XI. While on paper, the Buttler-led looks formidable, firing as a unit will be one of the keys for the team during the CT. A lot will boil down to England's batting, who have often imploded than exploded.
Probable Playing 11
Ben Duckett, Phil Salt, Joe Root, Jos Buttler, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jamie Smith, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Adil Rashid
Bowling Attack Analysis
England have managed to assemble a good crop of fast bowlers like Archer, Wood, Carse, and Atinkson. All four bowlers can clock at a speed of 145 excess. However, the question remains whether these bowlers can be effective on flat and batting-friendly surfaces in Pakistan. The recent ODI series in India did not yield favorable results for these pacers, as they were dealt with easily by Rohit Sharma, Gill, and Kohli. Pace might not be effective in Pakistan as well.
England though have a trump card in spin Adil Rashid. The leg spinner is one of the best bowlers in the middle phase of the innings. However, besides Rashid, there is no other specialist spinner in the squad. Teams like India, South Africa, and Australia have two to three specialist spinners. Liam Livingstone and Joe Root can roll their aim over, but the duo are not as threatening as Rashid.
Also Read: Jasprit Bumrah Injured! Mitchell Starc Withdraws: Check out the Champions Trophy 2025 Updated Squads
Batting Attack Analysis
Bethall was supposed to be the X-factor player, but with the Southpaw injured, England do not have a game-changer player in their top six. While Duckett, Salt, and Livingstone are explosive options, the trio have often thrown their wickets away after getting to good starts. In fact, former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen questioned the batter's temperament and hunger to score big runs after they performed poorly in the ODI series against India.
England's batting will revolve around Joe Root. If the veteran plays the anchor role, then the rest of the batters can attack from the other end. In England's all-recent ODI series losses, batters have let the team down by not being able to score big hundreds.
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Final Rating: 5/10
While England have a good blend of youth and experience in the squad, consistency is one thing, which has eluded them. Skipper Buttler has hardly two or three players to rely on such as Root, Rashid, and to some extent Brook. The rest of the players now need to step up as the Three Lions cannot afford slip-ups, especially in Group of Death in the Champions Trophy.
