Following his side’s crushing 90-run loss to South Africa in the last T20I, England skipper Jos Buttler stated that this series loss has served as a “reality check,” and that they cannot focus on past success.
England endured a poor white-ball cricket season, failing to win any series. They were defeated by South Africa by 90 runs in the third and final T20I in Southampton, losing the series 2-1. They had already lost the ODI and T20I series against India.
Buttler, who took over for 2019 World Cup winner Eoin Morgan, was cited by Sky Sports as stating, “We have not played our greatest cricket by a by shot, and I do not believe we have imposed ourselves. We cannot dwell in the past and congratulate ourselves on the reforms made in English cricket and the victories we have achieved.”
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“It’s about looking ahead, chasing the finest teams in the world and being at the forefront of that,” he continued.
Buttler stated that the team does not need an open discussion.
“You don’t want to overreact to circumstances, but the chanting of “Get on with it, England!” could be heard around the stadium. You don’t want to be linked with something like that. It’s the first time I’ve heard that in a long time, so the displeasure with the group indicates that we weren’t able to put on the performance we wanted to put on, “He went on.
“You can live with defeat, but you must remain loyal to your beliefs, and I believe we came far short with the manner we played. The manner we plummeted down was the most frustrating part. We lacked aim and confidence, and we did not apply pressure to the opposition. We were never able to fire bullets and take the initiative. That touch of timidity is perhaps what we are most upset with. We want to be a team that is willing to be bold and take chances.”
“We need to figure out where the inconsistency is coming from. We have not been able to follow up our performances, whether due to overconfidence or a lack of confidence. We did not play well as individuals or as a team. The first place I’d look is within myself. As captain, I want to lead from the front, and I know I haven’t played to my full potential “He finished.
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England has 10 T20 matches left until their T20 World Cup opening against Afghanistan on October 22nd, with seven games in Pakistan and three in Australia.
In the third and final T20I of the series, South Africa defeated England by 90 runs thanks to half-centuries from Reeza Hendricks and Aiden Markram, as well as a fifer from spinner Tabraiz Shamsi.
South Africa won the series 2-1 with this victory, upsetting a strong England team on their own turf.
South Africa scored 191/5 in 20 overs in their first innings. The Proteas’ top hitters were Hendricks (70) and Markram (51*), with Rilee Rossouw and skipper David Miller also contributing. England’s medium bowler David Willey (3/25) grabbed the most wickets.
England, chasing 192, had a solid opening 28-run stand between Jason Roy and Jos Buttler. However, when Keshav Maharaj dismissed Buttler for 14, the hosts began to lose wickets on a regular basis. Jonny Bairstow tried to hold one end steady but ran out of partners. He was Maharaj’s final dismissal for 27.
England were bowled out for 101 runs and lost by 90 runs, handing the series to the Proteas.
Shamsi was South Africa’s top bowler, taking 5/24 and destroying the lower middle order and tail. Maharaj took two wickets, while Nortje, Markram, and Andile Phehlukwayo each had one.
Shamsi was named ‘Man of the Match’ for his magnificent stint, while Hendricks was named ‘Man of the Tournament’ for scoring 180 runs throughout the series. In all three games, he scored half-centuries.
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