England bowed out of the 2015 Cricket World Cup with tails wedged firmly between their collective legs. With just two wins picked up through six matches, along with four painful defeats, there were plenty of uncomfortable questions to be answered. Eoin Morgan and Co. set out to revolutionize the English game. The goal was to avoid any more embarrassing setbacks on the grandest of international stages.
Fortune was reversed in style, with a four-year cycle seeing England go from also-rans to the best side on the planet. On a dramatic afternoon at Lord’s in 2019, the ultimate prize in 50-over cricket was secured on home soil.
Priorities
England would go on to savor T20 World Cup glory in 2022, making them undisputed kings of the white ball game. There was no secret to the success – it had been achieved through a combination of hard work and realigning of priorities that had become a little skewed. No longer were square pegs being forced into round holes, with the focus narrowed on maximizing potential and giving so-called specialists opportunities in which to thrive. Rich rewards were enjoyed along the way, but every era of dominance must eventually come to a close.
There was little expectation of that happening in 2023, with Cricket World Cup betting odds placing England among the frontrunners from the moment that wild celebrations came to an end at the home of cricket on July 14, 2019.
The loftiest of perches has, however, become difficult to cling to. A changing of the guard was inevitable, but the deepest of talent pools was expected to ensure that there was no sinking before learning to swim again.
England’s performance on Indian soil in the autumn of 2023 suggests that an uncomfortable sporting winter may have to be endured before stepping back into the warm glow of summer sunshine once more.
India has emerged as a +120 favorite to claim a global crown in their own backyard, with perennial challengers Australia pushing them close at +333. England were very much part of that conversation at one stage, but that’s no longer the case.
Agony in 2015 ➡️ Ecstasy in 2019#OnThisDay last year Morgan's men created history 🏆 pic.twitter.com/ZLXmwMbZYF
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 14, 2020
Humbling
A humbling step backward has been taken by Jos Buttler and a collection of team-mates who are well versed in the demands of elite competition in the subcontinent from productive campaigns spent gracing the talent-loaded IPL.
With that in mind, it’s come as a surprise to many to see the likes of Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Adil Rashid, and Chris Woakes struggle so badly in an event that they’ve all conquered in the past. Of course, form will always be temporary, but class is permanent.
England will be clutching at that straw for as long as possible, with their desire in a star-studded camp to write off the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup as a mere bump in the road. While sustained success is always preferable, the odd wobble can help to sharpen any bodies and minds that have allowed a touch of complacency to set in.
To move forward again, England is being sent back to the drawing board. There’ll be no revolution this time around, with evolution still the order of the day. The right pieces of the puzzle are there, they just need to fit together in the correct order.
Results
Never forget what this team has achieved. pic.twitter.com/J0h15ZlGjB
— England's Barmy Army 🏴🎺 (@TheBarmyArmy) October 27, 2023
Change has, however, been mooted once again. Joe Root is among those calling for more 50-over cricket to be played domestically by those charged with the task of delivering positive results in said format on an international stage.
He said: “There’s talk of whether the 50-over format is relevant anymore anyway, in international cricket. Whether that gets changed, I don’t know. Who knows how things move in the future? Whether it’s domestically or internationally, I don’t think we play enough of it if we’re going to continue to look to compete in World Cups.”
Root has also said that England aren’t looking to make excuses after slipping back into familiar bad habits. That’s the mindset that must be adopted across the board to avoid seeing a backward step become serious regression.
England have been here before and have come out the other side in spectacular fashion – there’s nothing to suggest that they cannot do so again.
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