London [UK], February 15: Former England cricketer Mark Butcher has voiced concerns about England’s lack of experience in the 50-over format, questioning whether the team has enough depth to compete effectively in the upcoming Champions Trophy. His comments came after England’s humiliating 3-0 series loss to India, which exposed several weaknesses in their ODI setup.
Speaking on the Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast during England’s third ODI defeat in Ahmedabad, Butcher highlighted the inexperience of several players in the squad. Among them were Jacob Bethell, who had only 16 List A games before making his ODI debut, and Gus Atkinson, who made his international debut in 2023 after just two List A appearances and struggled with a poor performance during the series, conceding 139 runs in two matches. Following Bethell’s injury, England also recalled Tom Banton, who hadn’t played a 50-over match since 2020.
“The first thing that sprung to my mind during the first two ODIs was just how naive most of our cricket is in the 50-over format,” Butcher said. He further added, “There is a world of difference in terms of the tempo that the game needs to continuously be played at… It requires more than just putting your foot to the floor and keeping it there.”
Butcher reflected on how England once played very few 50-over matches during the summer, particularly in the 1990s when they faced opponents like India, West Indies, and Australia. “The difference in the number of caps between them and our players was three times more on the other team,” he noted. He pointed out that England’s current squad faces a similar challenge, with India’s players having far more experience than England’s, including young talents like Shubman Gill, who has already played 50 ODIs at just 25 years old.
While Butcher acknowledged that players like Gus Atkinson would benefit from the challenging experience in India, he questioned England’s ability to perform at their best in the upcoming Champions Trophy, given their lack of experience in the format. “Being a very talented boy… he will be better for the experience of a flogging in India,” he said, but added, “if you’re talking about winning a Champions Trophy in a couple of weeks time, it’s not likely.”
England will begin their Champions Trophy campaign on February 22 in Lahore, where they will face arch-rivals Australia, followed by matches against Afghanistan and South Africa, hoping to overcome their recent struggles and make a strong impact in the tournament.