'We're a disgrace' - Former England skipper lashes out at England team for their poor show in ongoing World Cup 2023

England's struggles in the ongoing ODI World Cup continued as they suffered another defeat, this time at the hands of Sri Lanka in Bengaluru. Despite choosing to bat first, the Jos Buttler-led team was bowled out for a mere 156 runs, with Ben Stokes contributing 43 runs. Sri Lanka comfortably chased down the target with eight wickets and 25.4 overs to spare. This loss marked England's fourth in five matches, putting their chances of reaching the semi-finals in jeopardy.

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Several former cricketers have criticized England's poor performance in the tournament, with their former captain Nasser Hussain using the example of Indian star batter Virat Kohli's form to highlight their struggles.

"What I don't like is giving players a cop out. And I feel like sometimes we do that in English cricket. When we win the 50-over World Cup and the 20-over World Cup, aren't they great? We're brilliant. And when the wheels come of it's the structure. It's the structure of English cricket, we're a disgrace. We play 20-over cricket, we play 100-ball cricket, we don't play enough 50-over cricket," Nasser told Sky sports.

"How much 50-over cricket domestically has Virat Kohli played? Or Heinrich Klaasen or anyone out here? They don't play domestic 50-over cricket, they learn from T20 franchises around the world. That's what's made this great side over the last six years, travelling round the world playing T20 franchises. It's such a lame excuse," he added.

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They have all collapsed as a unit: Naseer Hussain

Nasser Hussain criticized England for their inadequate tactics, which ultimately resulted in their poor performance in the ongoing World Cup. The former England skipper observed that England has played poorly in back-to-back matches, with a shift in their tactics and team composition. He emphasized the significance of tactics, team performance, and decisions at the toss, but stressed that the key factor in cricket, particularly during a World Cup, is having players in peak form.

"Back to back, I've not seen England play as badly as that. They've changed their tactics, they've gone back to their all-rounders. They changed the toss, they batted first. So it shows really that tactics are important, the team is important, what you do at the toss is important, but the most important thing in any sport and in cricket in particular, is having players at the top of their game, especially in a World Cup," said Nasser.

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“If you walk in that dressing room now and asked them to put their hand on their heart and say, are you in good nick? I reckon maybe one or two could say that. They have all collapsed as a unit and their form has deserted them. Compare that to South Africa and their batting lineup, everyone's in nick. You look at India and their batting lineup, Rohit, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill – all in nick," he added.