3 positives England can take from disastrous 2023 World Cup
England, by all means, had a forgettable 2023 World Cup campaign.
The English entered the competition as the defending champions, but Jos Buttler and Co. could not qualify for the semifinals this time. They worryingly won only three of their nine games.
England started their campaign with a morale-shattering defeat against New Zealand but bounced back with a convincing win over Bangladesh. Fans expected them to continue the winning momentum, but Buttler's men lost their next five matches to be knocked out of the competition.
England managed to end their 2023 World Cup on a high by defeating Netherlands and Pakistan in their last two games. The victories helped them finish in the top eight and qualify for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
Although it was a disastrous tournament for the English side, they had a few positives as well. Here's a list of three positive developments for the team from the 2023 World Cup.
#1 Dawid Malan emerges as a reliable opener for England at the 2023 World Cup
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) made a last-minute change to their 2023 World Cup squad, leaving Jason Roy out to include Harry Brook. The team management used Jonny Bairstow and Dawid Malan as the opening pair in the competition.
While regular opener Bairstow was quite inconsistent, Malan stepped up and delivered the goods. The southpaw scored 404 runs in nine matches at a strike rate of 101, registering two half-centuries and a century.
He played a big role in England's wins over Bangladesh and the Netherlands, scoring 140 and 87, respectively.
With the 2025 Champions Trophy set to happen in the subcontinent as well, the ECB should stick with Malan as their regular opener in ODIs for two more years. He is 36 now, but looking at the way he performed in the 2023 World Cup, he can be backed to continue in the 50-over format for two years.
#2 Ben Stokes still has a lot of ODI cricket left in him
Ben Stokes surprised the cricket universe with his decision to retire from ODI cricket in mid-2022. He made a return to the 50-over format just before the 2023 World Cup and represented the defending champions at the mega event.
Stokes played as a specialist batter due to knee issues. Despite missing three matches, he ended as the second-highest run-scorer for the team, proving that he has a lot of ODI cricket left in him.
Speaking with Sky Sports recently, Stokes addressed his future in the 50-over format and said:
"It will be a decision that I'm probably going to have to think about, quite hard, to produce an outcome. You never know, the body might be in a lot better position than it was in the last 18 months."
#3 A reality check for Jos Buttler and Matthew Mott
Captain Jos Buttler and coach Matthew Mott seemingly received a reality check in this World Cup: the ODI format requires specialist players more than all-rounders.
Mott and Buttler almost replicated the squad template that led them to glory in the T20 World Cup in Australia last year. However, the approach led to a major failure in the ODI World Cup.
Buttler and Mott are likely to continue in their roles after the World Cup. However, the six losses at the 2023 World Cup should force England to change their tactics and become a stronger side before the next ICC event.