Jos Buttler’s future as captain has been questioned after his team suffered back-to-back first-stage exits in ICC ODI events. England lost to Australia and Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy 2025 to suffer another group stage exit.
Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has called England to take subcontinent tours seriously after another ICC tournament debacle, this time in the Champions Trophy 2025.
England suffered losses in their opening two fixtures against Australia and Afghanistan, which saw their campaign cut short in the global tournament in Pakistan. The Three Lions had earlier suffered a first-round exit in the ODI World Cup 2023 in India when they were knocked out in the group stage.
The pressure is mounting on Jos Buttler‘s captaincy, as he has admitted that the team should consider all possibilities. Ashwin, who retired from international cricket at the end of 2024, has opened up on the continuous failures of the 2019 champions.
“I saw Jos Buttler’s post-match interview (after the Afghanistan game). He was very candid in saying, ‘I do not know what my leadership aspirations are in the future.’ They had a terrible 50-over World Cup in 2023. And now they are out of the 2025 Champions Trophy. 1. They don’t qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) final. So, with all that in mind, I think England are at a crossroads,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat.’
During England’s away ODI series against India in the build-up to the tournament, English opener Ben Duckett had stated that they wouldn’t mind losing 3-0 to India. “There was a statement from Ben Duckett after losing the first ODI in India. He said, ‘We don’t care if we lose 3-0 to India. Because we want to beat India in the final of the Champions Trophy.’ It reflects their mindset. Is it so easy to go to a major competition and win the final?” he added.
The former spin-bowling all-rounder also analysed England’s batting and how their Bazball approach is backfiring. “There is no consistent template in your batting. You were marketing and branding Harry Brook as the next generation’s sensation. But Harry Brook’s game is also sinking. He is now under immense pressure to produce match-winning knocks,” he said.
“What’s happened with England in this Bazball generation is something that they have to retrospect. Ravi Shastri has given an amazing comment: that England needs to take sub-continental tours very seriously,” he said.
“The World Cups England won in 2019 (ODI) at home and in 2022 (T20I) in Australia—they actually haven’t come to the sub-continent and won anything of repute. Teams like Australia travel very well. They prepare well. They perform well. South Africa also prepares. They put in good performances.
“But 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?” he said.
