What now for England and Jos Buttler after Champions Trophy exit?

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England were sent packing from the Champions Trophy after a dramatic late defeat at the hands of Afghanistan.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the reasons for their early exit and asks what comes next.

How disappointing is England’s group stage departure?

It is not long since England were double world champions in white-ball cricket, but things have fallen away badly with a string of tournament failures. Their efforts at the 50-over World Cup in 2023 amounted to little more than a joyless trudge around India and they were only marginally better in last year’s T20 tournament before being thrashed in the semi-finals. They needed to fire here to show they could bring the good times back but back-to-back defeats and a swift flight home merely confirms their limited-overs game is in a nosedive.

Will heads roll?

Head coach Matthew Mott carried the can for the last two misfires, sacked in the summer to make way for Test guru Brendon McCullum. England could easily have axed Jos Buttler too but he was given the chance to reboot his faltering reign. He is now the man under most pressure. Too often his leadership and tactical nous has fallen short of his undoubted talent with bat in hand. He looks increasingly hollowed out by his spell at the helm and both he and the team might benefit from new ideas.

Are there any obvious successors?

Harry Brook is the standard bearer for the next generation, stood in for Buttler last year and has served recently as vice-captain. All signs point towards the Yorkshireman if a change does come but things are not simple. England’s packed schedule means a Test regular like Brook cannot commit to every white-ball assignment, making for a complicated workload. Phil Salt is another with a taste of leadership but is in a sticky patch of form, while Sam Curran has skippered in the IPL but is currently out in the cold.

Do England need a rebuild?

England have looked an old side for some time now and have already culled stalwarts like Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow along the way. Ben Stokes’ fitness issues and role as Test captain means he may have a limited role in future too, while Mark Wood may have pushed his body too far to continue as a three-format player. Joe Root (34) and Adil Rashid (37) remain class acts but there is room for new blood. There has been too much inconsistency elsewhere and the likes of Liam Livingstone, Jamie Overton, Phil Salt, Saqib Mahmood cannot be certain of their ODI futures. Jacob Bethell and Jamie Smith are exciting prospects who appear to have better times in front of them but the selectors should be on the lookout for specialists across the disciplines who can lift a team that has risked becoming one-dimensional.

Do the issues run deeper than the talent pool?

Unfortunately, yes. The England and Wales Cricket Board has downgraded its domestic 50-over competition to ‘developmental’ status, meaning the country’s top players and best emerging prospects hardly ever play it. Instead they are fed a diet of T20, franchise leagues and the Hundred. Compared to Eoin Morgan’s world beaters on 2019, they are poorly prepared. The problem is not likely to go away any time soon, so they will be attempting to reinvigorate a side without players battle-hardened in the format.

Is the ‘Bazball’ message falling flat?

The ultra-aggressive approached preached by McCullum and Stokes brought a sharp upturn in fortunes in the Test arena, unlocking some remarkable match-winning performances by removing the fear factor. But there is a growing feeling that there may be too much freedom to get the best out of all comers. A few hard conversations and greater emphasis on the tactical and technical elements may be required. Test cricket will take centre stage for the next year, with a huge India series followed by an Ashes tour, but England cannot afford to let things drift if they are to stay in the hunt for silverware.

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