3 reasons why England could not qualify for ODI World Cup 2023 Semi-Finals

England could not qualify for the semi-finals of the World Cup and it came as a huge shock for the cricketing world as they were one of the prime contenders to lift the title. The English white-ball team has dominated the scene in the last few years with two world titles. They entered the tournament with an experienced side that knew what their philosophy and style was but things panned in such a way that they had to bow out of the tournament without qualifying for the knockouts.

Let’s take a look at 3 reasons why England could not qualify for the semi-finals in the ODI World Cup 2023:

Lack of Responsibility

The most glaring thing that stood out was the hurry that the English players were in. No one tried to take the authority which became one of the major reasons behind England’s failure in this World Cup. Senior players like Root, Bairstow, and Buttler, at different stages in the tournament, played some shots that were not at all justified at that moment. This lack of responsibility is also evident from the fact that England could not complete the quota of 50 overs in most of the matches in the first innings or the run chase. 

Panic Mode – ON!

After a few early setbacks in the tournament, the English team could not stick to the process. Incessant changes in the combination of the team and changing the dynamics of the team induced a sense of panic in the English team. The English team could play with a fearless approach because they had depth in their lineup. And this depth was possible because they used to build their team around multiple all-rounders. But this combination was tweaked after initial failures which caused more issues for the team. 

Flexibility in Approach

One of the major reasons for their failure in the World Cup is the lack of flexibility in their approach. The hell-bent approach to stick with the philosophy of always going on full throttle in every phase of the innings backfired. Their philosophy was not tested in Indian conditions and this was the first time that their philosophy was put to the test in the World Cup. The inability to adapt to Indian conditions caused a lot of issues for them, finally ending in a disastrous campaign. 

Also read: ODI World Cup 2023: Combined Best XI from group stages