It’s one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history.
Afghanistan, with just one win from 15 previous matches at the prestige tournament – over Scotland back in 2015 – have left England’s title defence in tatters with a remarkable 69-run win in Delhi, to turn the Cup on its head at a stroke.
Dead last on the tournament table before the stunning win, the underdogs are now up to sixth, equal on points with England themselves – with the cricket world nothing short of captivated with their spectacular performance.
However, the reaction from the UK has been equally profound, with the reigning champions coming in for a barrage of criticism, both for a ‘sloppy’ team performance and the underwhelming displays of a swathe of their biggest names.
Writing in The Telegraph, cricket correspondent Tim Wigmore wrote that England had been ‘humiliated’, decrying a ‘tentative’ display with the bat in stark contrast to their usual freewheeling selves.
“After all the talk of England’s default being to ‘fall on the positive side’ when under pressure, tentativeness was the hallmark of their display,” Wigmore wrote.
“The final wicket, Mark Wood, was the sole man to succumb when trying to hit a boundary.
“For all the excellence of Afghanistan’s spinners, England slept-walked to their fate, their feet as statuesque as if they had been met by Medusa’s stare.”
In The Times, former England captain Michael Atherton had nothing but praise for Afghanistan.
“In even conditions, without dew to tilt the balance one way or other, they beat England convincingly,” the former Test skipper turned commentator said of the underdogs’ performance, while slamming his own team’s lack of intensity from start to finish.
“My, did England start sloppily,” he wrote.
“[Chris] Woakes sent his first ball down the leg side for five wides; [Sam] Curran, replacing him, conceded a free hit from a no-ball in his second; and Jonny Bairstow allowed a fiercely hit cut shot to bypass him at point
“Woakes conceded 31 runs in his opening three overs, Curran 28 runs from his two, and they were treated disdainfully by [Rahmanullah] Gurbaz, who, dancing around the crease, pulled and drove with power.”
The Daily Mail cricket writer Lawrence Booth had even more concerns for England’s World Cup, writing that their title defence is in ‘tatters’ after being ‘humiliated’ on the biggest stage.
“A chastening 69-run defeat leaves Jos Buttler’s side probably needing to win five of their remaining six games to reach the last four – and South Africa, India, Australia and Pakistan lie in wait. On this evidence, England will struggle to beat any of them,” Booth wrote.
“Such was England’s ineptitude… that it was if the white-ball revolution set in motion eight years ago by Eoin Morgan never happened.
Jos Buttler. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
“Where was the cleverness with the ball? The ability to react to circumstance? The relentless aggression with the bat? [Captain Jos] Buttler has played down the significance of his side’s descent to fifth in the rankings. But England’s alright-on-the-night mentality has produced two defeats out of three. Their aura is going, if not gone.
“Only 10 days into a tournament England had designs on winning, they have barely half a hand on their trophy.”
For Booth, one man was singled out for criticism above all others: opening bowler and Ashes hero Chris Woakes.
After winning the Compton-Miller Medal as player of the series in England’s 2-2 tie with Australia, despite missing the first two Tests, the veteran seamer has begun the World Cup poorly, conceding 41 from just four overs with the new ball against Afghanistan after being similarly leaky against New Zealand in their humbling loss earlier in the tournament.
“The conservatism that once blighted English cricket seems to have returned,” Booth wrote.
“England had a chance here to blood either Gus Atkinson or David Willey, or both. Instead, Woakes – one of the heroes of the Ashes comeback – has made himself unselectable, along with Sam Curran.
“Woakes has now taken two for 135 at this World Cup, and Curran two for 122. Their combined figures here were 8-0-87-0.”
That criticism was echoed by Wisden writer Katya Witney, who decried both Woakes and Curran and urged England to make tough selection calls on both.
“Far from England’s Mr Reliable with the new ball in ODI cricket, as he’s been for so many years, Woakes has thus far been a liability,” Witney wrote.
“Couple that with a willingness to view Curran as a solution to their lack of depth with both bat and ball and England’s attack looks far short of one that could reach the semi-finals of a World Cup, let alone win it.”
Writing in The Daily Mail, another former England captain in Nasser Hussain was in agreement – Woakes needs to go.
“Chris Woakes is completely out of nick — that has been evident in all three matches so far. He has been very un-Woakeslike. England have to leave him out now,” Hussain wrote.
Chris Woakes celebrates the wicket of Glenn Maxwell at the 2021 T20 World Cup. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)
“Now is not the time for any kind of emotion or loyalty. Buttler tried to get Woakes into the tournament by keeping him on against Bangladesh when he might have taken him off, but there can be no sentiment in selection at this point. You have just got to put your best XI on the park.
“At the moment, Woakes is not one of England’s best five bowlers. It’s a real anomaly how good he is in England and how much he struggles away from home. Those struggles with the new ball set the tone for defeat by New Zealand in England’s opener and yesterday’s loss.”
Hussain had one solution for the team’s dire situation – rush Ben Stokes back into the line-up at any cost.
The Test captain and 2019 World Cup final hero came out of ODI retirement mid-year for the prestige tournament, but has missed the first three matches of their campaign with a hip injury.
“I sincerely hope England were not holding him [Stokes] back here thinking ‘it’s only Afghanistan’,” Hussain wrote.
“Yes, they had only won one of 17 previous World Cup matches but they are a dangerous side, especially if they put a score on the board for their quality spinners in Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi to defend, as they did so brilliantly.
“For Jos Buttler’s team, there is no wiggle room now. They have to win every match from here on if they want to keep the defence of their title in their own hands.
“It’s all about resilience now… that means them playing their best XI and acting as if every game, starting with facing the in-form South Africa in Mumbai on Saturday, is a World Cup final. That means Ben Stokes has got to come back in if he is fit.”
Sitting fifth on the table with a 1-2 record, having beaten Bangladesh in between their losses to New Zealand and Afghanistan, England can still turn things around – but they are fast running out of time to do so.
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