ODI World Cup 2023: Ben Stokes on England’s performance - ‘We have played crap’

While India, Australia and South Africa have been the most consistent teams, England has had a nightmarish campaign in a bid to retain its title.

Ben Stokes plays a shot against the Netherlands during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 match at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. | Photo Credit: B.Jothi Ramalingam / The Hindu

The Men’s World Cup may be approaching its business end, but the debate over the format of the tournament has persisted right through the last six weeks. Ben Stokes, the England all-rounder, has given a thumbs-up to the format.

With the 10 participating teams playing each other once, that too in conditions as varied as one gets in India, the teams that have adapted well have produced consistent performances.

Stokes stressed the same factor after setting up England’s resounding win against the Netherlands on Wednesday.

“The guys who have already progressed to the semifinals have just played the best cricket overall, and obviously there are different conditions to factor into that,” Stokes said.

“This format is the best. This format shows you who the best teams are when it comes to semifinals, rather than the sort of what was the Super 8 on group stages. You don’t have anyone who is getting (through due to) the technicality or something like that. When everyone plays everyone, the teams who put in the most consistent performances are always the ones going through.”

While India, Australia and South Africa have been the most consistent teams, England has had a nightmarish campaign in a bid to retain its title.

Ever since it was thrashed by New Zealand in the tournament opener, never has England looked like being a formidable unit. When asked whether he has been able to pinpoint what has gone wrong in England’s campaign, Stokes didn’t hold himself back, just like the way he bats.

“Everyone has been asked this and it’s just simple. We have played crap. I said the same thing last week and it’s the same.”

In fact, had it not been for Stokes holding an end up and then going berserk in the death overs, England would have struggled to register its second win on Wednesday. He explained the rationale of being patient till as late as the 43rd over.

“For me, it was just about taking it as deep as I could into the innings and trying to look for capitalising at the back end. It was a good wicket and you just have to gauge and assess the best possible circumstances to take a risk,” Stoke said. “For me, it was just about occupying the crease, building partnerships and then trying to come to life.”

Stokes, and England, came to life a little too late for his liking.