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England have had a nightmarish campaign in the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023 as the Jos Buttler's men are lurching at the bottom of the points table. Their latest failure came in the World Cup match against Australia on November 4, where they continued their dismal form and suffered a 33-run defeat in Ahmedabad.
The World Cup 2023 has been less than kind to the England cricket team, and all-rounder Moeen Ali has not shied away from voicing the hard truths. The once reigning champions faced a stark turnaround in their fortunes, stumbling through a series of defeats that saw them languishing at the bottom of the points table.
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In a conversation with AFP, on being asked if it was the end of a great 50-over team, the 36-year-old all-rounder admitted, “Yeah, maybe.”
Exploring the reasons behind the team's underwhelming performance, Moeen pointed to a crisis in confidence, particularly within the batting lineup. "It's just lack of confidence, especially in the batting department," he stated, highlighting the challenges of playing in India where conditions can be as tricky as they are rewarding for batsmen. Despite adjustments in approach, England's efforts fell short. "We haven't been good enough," Moeen conceded.
While Moeen acknowledged slight improvements in bowling in the latter matches, he dismissed any notion of silver linings. "But no positives really, we are bottom of the table with two points in a World Cup in which we expected to do better," he remarked, laying bare the team's disappointment.
As England grapples with their World Cup debacle, Moeen's outlook towards the future carries a sense of hopeful pragmatism. He suggested that the time might be ripe for England to embark on a journey akin to the transformation they underwent following the 2015 World Cup disappointment. "I look at it as an exciting time going forward because there are so many good players, we know they are coming," he said with a forward-looking perspective.
“Anything could happen there are still another four years before the next World Cup. Like 2015, we were terrible in the World Cup and we started again, almost started fresh and it can be exciting going forward," Moeen concluded.
England will next face Netherland on November 8 in Pune's Maharashtra Cricket Association's stadium.
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