‘Nothing’s worked’: Stokes bemoans England’s woeful World Cup

Saturday, 4 November 2023 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

AHMEDABAD (AFP): England’s Ben Stokes on Friday conceded that “nothing’s worked” in a disastrous World Cup campaign.

The defending champions have lost five of their six matches to lie bottom of the 10-team table and another defeat on Saturday in Ahmedabad against arch-rivals Australia will end even their slimmest hopes of squeezing into the semi-finals.

“I think the problem is that we’ve been crap. To be honest with you, we’ve been crap,” Stokes said.

“Everything we’ve tried throughout this World Cup, through trying to put pressure back onto the opposition in a way in which we know, or trying to soak up the pressure in a different way, which we know we’ve done before and been successful with, it’s just not worked.” Stokes added: “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. And we’ve just not been able to put a full game together.” England have brushed aside any talk of an unlikely mathematical miracle of making the final-four even if they win their remaining three matches.

But a clash with five-time champions Australia does excite Stokes and his teammates, three months after an acrimonious Ashes series ended 2-2.

“England-Australia in any sport whenever the two nations play against each it’s always a big occasion,” said Stokes. He said, “There’s always a bit more chatter when England play Australia and whatever it is. So yeah, you just see it and I understand why. It’s a bit like when India and Pakistan come and play each other.” After facing Australia, the defending champions still have to play the Netherland in Pune on 8 November and Pakistan at Kolkata on 11 November.

“We’ve had a disastrous World Cup and there’s no point sugarcoating that because it’s the truth. But we know these last three games, for us, we’ve got a lot to play for,” said Stokes.

“I think the biggest thing that we’ve got to play for is obviously the pride of what it is to put the three lions on your chest, walking out onto the field every time is a very special occasion and something that we value very highly.” England won their maiden ODI World Cup in 2019 and followed it up with a second T20 crown last year, but Stokes remains stumped as to why the campaign in India has been so dismal.

“I’m only as good as my next game, which is an easy way to park success and park failure, and then just concentrate on the next game ahead of us,” said Stokes.

“You can’t live on a reputation of things that’s gone on in the past, because you’re always judged on what you do on any given day. But can’t really explain or say as to why things have gone so wrong for us as a team.” Asked on his predictions for the eventual champions, Stokes picked South Africa ahead of India to lift the title in Ahmedabad on 19 November.