England flattered to deceive in the Champions Trophy 2025, culminating in yet another group stage exit from a major ICC tournament. England were defeated by Afghanistan on Wednesday, confirming their elimination from the Champions Trophy. It was also their sixth defeat in a row in ODIs, following on from a disastrous 0-3 series defeat against India. The England team has come under attack from several experts, and the latest to join that list is legendary Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. The 37-year-old also picked out Harry Brook for criticism.
“There is no consistent template in your batting. You were marketing and branding Harry Brook as the next generation sensation. But Harry Brook’s game is also sinking. He is now under immense pressure to produce match-winning knocks,” Ashwin said, speaking on his YouTube channel.
Ashwin criticised England’s mentality, highlighting opener Ben Duckett‘s comment after the India series. Duckett had stated that he did not mind losing 0-3 to India as long as they beat them in the Champions Trophy.
“It reflects their mindset. Is it so easy to go to a major competition and win the final?” Ashwin questioned.
This is the second successive 50-over tournament where England have failed to make the knockout stage, after the 2023 World Cup. On that occasion, England had finished seventh out of 10 teams.
Ashwin also raised concern over England’s approach during the ‘Bazball’ era.
“I saw Jos Buttler‘s post-match interview (after losing to Afghanistan). He was very candid in saying, ‘I do not know what my leadership aspirations are in the future’,” Ashwin pointed out.
“England, I still feel, treats sub-continental tours just as a tick box. Has the time come for England to really dig in and think about it,” Ashwin stated.
“What’s happened with England in this Bazball generation is something that they have to retrospect,” he added.
On Wednesday, England failed to chase down a target of 326, despite being in the run chase all the way through. England kept losing wickets at crucial intervals, ultimately resulting in their second successive defeat to Afghanistan in 50-over ICC tournaments.
England were in dreadful form heading into the Champions Trophy as well. They lost 2-1 to West Indies in a three-match ODI series, before being outclassed by India in India.
Once the reigning champion of both the T20 World Cup and the ODI World Cup at the same time, things have gone pear-shaped for England now, particularly in white-ball cricket.
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