Ben Stokes Criticizes England’s Performance In World Cup 2023, Says “We’ve Been Crap”

Star all-rounder Ben Stokes expressed disappointment over the England team’s performance in the ongoing ICC ODI World Cup 2023. Ben Stokes has termed the Jos Buttler-led team’s World Cup campaign a disaster, emphasizing the team’s lackluster performance.

The England team entered the tournament as one of the favorites to win the title. However, the defending champions suffered a defeat against New Zealand in their first match in Ahmedabad. They managed to secure only one victory out of the six games they played.

We’ve Been Crap – Ben Stokes

At the pre-match press conference ahead of the England-Australia match in the tournament, Ben Stokes acknowledged their poor performance in the World Cup. Stokes emphasized that there was no need to sugarcoat their struggles.

“The problem is we’ve been crap. It’s just been a disaster, there’s no point sugarcoating it,” Ben Stokes told reporters.

Ben Stokes on England’s World Cup campaign:

“The problem is we’ve been crap.
“It’s just been a disaster, there’s no point sugarcoating it.”https://t.co/3FTRaKqbw9

— Daniel Cherny (@DanielCherny) November 3, 2023

Stokes came out of his ODI retirement to help the team defend their title in the World Cup. The left-handed batter managed to score 48 runs at a dismal average of 16 and a strike rate of 52.75. He scored 43 runs against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru.

I Wouldn’t Have Changed The Side – Nasser Hussain

Earlier, former skipper Nasser Hussain stated it’s time for a significant overhaul of the English cricket team due to their recent underwhelming performances.

“It’s easy to be wise after the event and say ‘it’s an old side, we should have picked Phil Salt or Will Jacks or Ben Duckett.’ But I would not have swapped any of the players England brought here for anyone else. I wouldn’t have changed the side before this tournament but I would definitely be thinking about changing it now because it does feel like the end of an era,” Hussain wrote.

“I have not seen this England side play as badly in any back to back matches as they have against South Africa in Mumbai and now here against Sri Lanka. They changed their tactics and side again in making three more changes and batting after winning the toss but, really, what’s most important is having players at the top of their games when you arrive at a World Cup,” he further added.

The Three Lions will take on the Pat Cummins-led team in their next match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday, November 4.

Also read: ENG vs SL: Steve Smith Picks Ben Stokes’ Most Important Knock For England