Kolkata: There is no enthusiasm here for the World Cup defending champions. England were on the top of the list of potential champions of this World Cup. The gap between potential and reality is huge.
The last-time champions had a miserable show throughout the tournament. The situation is so bad that a place in the Champions Trophy has not been guaranteed. Pakistan face England at Eden Gardens on Saturday. The outcome of this match will not have a heavy bearing on the tournament.
However, most of the representatives of the golden age of English cricket are coming to an end. All-rounder Ben Stokes, Joe Root, Dawid Malan, Chris Woakes, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, and Jonny Bairstow are playing their last ODI World Cup.
As a result, being knocked out through a miserable performance is putting the future of English cricket in jeopardy. Coming to the press conference, Dawid Malan said, "We came up with the goal of reaching the semi-finals. We made preparations for that. But we could not prove ourselves."
However, the performance of the England cricket team in the recent past is quite good. In addition to becoming the champion in 2019, England have shown dominance in the limited-overs game in the following years as well.
England will now be desperately looking to secure a place in the Champions Trophy as they head into their last game against Pakistan at the Eden Gardens on Saturday.
“We have to win to secure a place in the Champions Trophy. I don't know if our place is ripe or not. But you have to try. That is what we will do," Dawid Malan said in a mellowed voice, without directly saying anything about his cricket future.
However, the current World Cup is the last tournament of cricket life, Dawid Malan admitted.
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