Champions Trophy: Buttler Acknowledges England's Shortcomings After Afghanistan Eliminates Them

Lahore, Feb 26 (NationPress) England captain Jos Buttler acknowledged that his team had not performed adequately following their narrow eight-run defeat to Afghanistan, which resulted in their elimination from the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy on Wednesday. In a tense chase of 326 runs at the Gaddafi Stadium, Joe Root’s impressive 120 proved to be in vain as Azmatullah Omarzai delivered a remarkable all-round performance, securing a historic victory for Afghanistan.

The standout performer of the match was all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai, who recorded a five-wicket haul along with a critical 41 runs off 31 balls, pivotal in tilting the match in favor of his side. England faced their sixth consecutive ODI loss, marking their poorest streak since 2009, confirming their decline in white-ball cricket.

Buttler expressed disappointment over England’s missed chances, stating, “It’s frustrating to exit the tournament prematurely. We had opportunities during the game that we failed to capitalize on. Root delivered an extraordinary innings, and we required one of the top six batsmen to remain alongside him. We lost our way a bit in the final 10 overs. Credit to Ibrahim; he played a fantastic innings. 113 runs in the last 10 overs lifted them to a very competitive score on that pitch,” he remarked post-match.

England commenced the innings positively, but Azmatullah dismissed Phil Salt early on, while Mohammad Nabi struck with his first delivery to send Jamie Smith back to the pavilion. Ben Duckett and Root worked to rebuild the innings until Rashid Khan's googly trapped Duckett LBW for 38 runs.

Root continued to anchor the innings, forming partnerships with Harry Brook and Buttler, who looked promising before departing for 42. Liam Livingstone continued to struggle as he was dismissed by Gulbadin Naib, placing England's chase in jeopardy.

Buttler praised Joe Root, who achieved his 17th ODI century off just 98 balls, marking his first since the 2019 World Cup. His innings also resulted in a record-breaking 11th century in this Champions Trophy, surpassing all previous tournament records.

“Unfortunately, in his fourth over, he (Wood) felt discomfort in his knee. Credit to him for bowling through the pain and demonstrating great character. It was challenging in the death overs with Wood injured and Root bowling the 47th over. Livi was also off the field, but credit to him for coming back.

“Root has been exceptional across all formats and has shown us how to manage pressure. His ODI statistics are impressive. If I knew I wouldn't be playing as I am (referring to his poor form), it’s disheartening when you’re one of the best players in the world and fail to deliver. I don’t want to make any hasty decisions,” he added.

With 39 runs required off 25 balls, Azmatullah dismissed Root with a well-aimed short ball, putting pressure on England’s lower order. Jamie Overton and Jofra Archer attempted to keep their hopes alive, but Azmatullah struck again, finishing with figures of 5 for 58, sealing England’s fate.

Afghanistan’s victory, fueled by Ibrahim Zadran’s 177 and Azmatullah Omarzai’s heroics, kept their tournament hopes alive.