England cannot win Champions Trophy due to a lack of experience: Mark Butcher

In regards to the ODI format, Mark Butcher voiced his worries about England’s lack of match practice. In the next Champions Trophy 2025, the former England batter believes Jos Buttler and company would find it difficult to compete against the best teams.

The main source of Butcher’s critique is England’s poor performance in the just finished ODI series against India, in which the 2019 World Cup winners were thrashed 0-3. In each of the three matches, India won with absolute ease after England was knocked out. In all three matches, the European country got off to fast starts, but they lost wickets in the middle overs, giving the Men in Blue the lead.

“During the first two ODIs, my initial thought was about how unprepared the majority of our cricket players are for the 50-over format. “Why might that be?” I asked myself. The reason is that we don’t play any. When it comes to the tempo at which the game must be played consistently, there are vast differences.

I don’t mean that the tempo is a fixed graph that only rises; in 50-over cricket, the tempo must change in a way that isn’t necessary in 20-over cricket. Playing a much of it is the only way to develop the talent, nous, and game awareness to know when to put the foot down, when to relax off a little, but when to sit in and when to go hard,” Butcher told Wisden.

“He will benefit more from the experience of flogging in India because he is a very gifted youngster who aspires to be the greatest. It’s unlikely, though, if you’re talking about taking home a Champions Trophy in a few weeks. that our team, its composition, and its experience will possess the talent, nous, and know-how necessary to prevail in 50-over cricket, a highly challenging format of the game. “It’s not enough to just put your foot on the ground and stay there,” he continued.

In the 2025 Champions Trophy, England is grouped with South Africa, Afghanistan, and Australia in Group B.

On February 22, they take on fierce rivals Australia at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium to start their campaign. South Africa will play England on March 1 and Afghanistan on February 26. Pakistan will play New Zealand in Karachi on February 19 to kick off the competition.