Former Indian opening batsman Virender Sehwag took to social media to express his opinions on England’s underwhelming performance in the ongoing World Cup 2023.
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England suffered an 8-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, leaving them in a precarious ninth position in the points table, with only Netherlands below them.
Sehwag, who retired from international cricket in 2015, has always been vocal about his views on the game. He has been particularly critical of England’s display in one-day internationals (ODIs).
In a post on X, he wrote, “England in 50 over one day international cricket has been a fairly average team. Except for the 2019 World cup at Home, they have failed to make the semi-finals in 7 out of their last 8 attempts.”
Sehwag’s criticism didn’t end there. He proceeded to highlight the instability in the English team, which he believes has contributed to their poor performance.
“A lack of consistency in team selection and too much chopping and changing, coupled with misjudging their effectiveness in ODIs compared to Tests, has cost them,” he added.
This is not the first time Sehwag has taken a swipe at England’s cricketing prowess. On October 16, 2023, he responded to Michael Vaughan’s optimistic prediction of England reaching the World Cup semi-finals by reminding him of England’s track record. He pointed out that England had reached the semi-finals only once in the last eight editions of the tournament.
Sehwag’s comments come in the aftermath of England’s shocking defeat to Afghanistan earlier in the tournament. Despite being the defending champions, the English team has struggled to find their form in the World Cup 2023, losing two out of their three games so far.
Sehwag’s remarks serve as a harsh reality check for the English team and their fans, emphasizing the need for a more consistent and focused approach to their ODI game.
