Defending champions England crashed out of the World Cup 2023 with just three wins from nine matches. England’s director of men’s cricket, Robert Key, took responsibility for the team’s below-par showing in India while backing the head coach, Matthew Mott and captain, Jos Buttler, saying it’s not their fault.

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England’s title defence was down in the mud owing to mediocre performances with bat and ball throughout the tournament. 

After suffering a defeat in the curtain-raiser against New Zealand by eight wickets, England beat Bangladesh in their next match. They lost their next five games, including one against Afghanistan in Delhi. 

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Though they were knocked out of the tournament by then, twin wins over the Netherlands and Pakistan helped England finish inside the top eight, earning them direct qualification for the 2025 Champions Trophy.

With England registering their worst-ever show at the World Cups with six losses in the league matches, Key, who had arrived in India ahead of the Pakistan match, said he was taking all the calls, including prioritising Tests since his arrival.

England achieved unbelievable results in Test cricket, but with them playing lesser ODIs, mainly outside of England, it didn’t help the cause, as the results are there for everyone to see.

“I look at what I’ve not done rather than blaming everyone else. I hold myself accountable for a lot,” he said.  “Since I’ve started this job, it’s very hard for me to be critical of Jos Buttler and Matthew Mott when I’m the one who, every single time a decision has been made around whether or not we focus on 50-over cricket, Test cricket or T20, I’ve always chosen Test cricket. 

“When there was a choice in Pakistan over who got the best players, I’ve always said, ‘Sorry, Test cricket gets that focus at the moment’. The same thing in South Africa. I’ve always chosen Test cricket. It’s not easy for coaches and captains when you haven’t got the ability to plan and have your best team,” Key added.

They have my backing – Key

To stick around with the white-ball teams in these testing times, Captain Jos Buttler said he wants to continue leading England post the World Cup, while Mott has Key’s backing as the head coach.

“That’s not their fault. So, I feel like it’s harsh if I turn around and blame the captain and coach. Really, I hold myself at the top of that list for what’s gone wrong on this trip,” Key said.

“As far as I’m concerned, he gets my full backing. He’s the person to get the first opportunity to put that right,” he added. “But it’s certainly not a case of saying ‘carry on, let’s keep doing everything the same and get the same result’.

Meanwhile, England will now travel to the Caribbean for the white-ball series, the squads for which were announced earlier.

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