England’s quest for their maiden ICC Men’s Champions Trophy title carries the weight of past performances and high expectations across the years. Having conquered both the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the Champions Trophy remains the only white-ball title missing from their cabinet. Twice before, in 2004 under Michael Vaughan and in 2013 under Alastair Cook, England came agonisingly close, only to falter at the final hurdle against India. Now, as they prepare for the 2025 edition, a full-strength squad, a renewed tactical approach, and the aggressive philosophy of new white-ball head coach Brendon McCullum offer a fresh shot at redemption.

Strength: England’s strength lies in their formidable batting unit, one that has defined their white-ball dominance over the past decade. The team has been the fastest-scoring ODI side since the 2023 World Cup, scoring at 6.02 runs per over. The presence of Jos Buttler, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Phil Salt and Ben Duckett ensures that England can take the attack to any opposition.

Root’s adaptability and experience make him a crucial figure, particularly in Pakistani conditions where spin is expected to play a key role. Alongside Buttler’s explosiveness and Brook’s fearless approach, England’s batting line-up is built to dictate terms, balancing aggression with the ability to stabilise when needed.

Weakness: However, England’s lead-up to the tournament has been far from ideal. They have won only four of the thirteen ODIs played since the 2023 World Cup and have suffered four consecutive series defeats. This slump has raised concerns about their ability to perform under pressure in a major tournament.

The inconsistency stems largely from an unsettled squad, with key players missing various assignments due to injuries, rest periods, and franchise cricket commitments. Jos Buttler, their full-time captain, has featured in just six ODIs since the World Cup, and the lack of continuity has disrupted their rhythm.

Adding to their worries is the lack of depth in the spin department. With Moeen Ali retired, the burden falls solely on Adil Rashid, England’s most successful ODI spinner. Rashid remains a world-class bowler, but at 36, questions remain over whether he can shoulder the responsibility alone across an entire tournament. His form will be crucial, particularly in the middle overs, where England have often struggled to contain scoring rates.

Joe Root and Liam Livingstone are England’s only other viable spin options, but neither offers the same level of control or wicket-taking threat. This deficiency could prove costly on subcontinental pitches that often aid slow bowlers.

Opportunity: The bowling attack, however, carries immense firepower in the pace department. Jofra Archer’s return, alongside the likes of Mark Wood, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse and Saqib Mahmood, provides England with a varied and menacing arsenal. Each of these pacers brings a different strength – Archer’s raw pace and accuracy, Wood’s express speed, Atkinson’s skiddy bounce, and Carse’s versatility as a seam-bowling all-rounder.

If these quicks find a rhythm, they can trouble the best batting line-ups. Yet, England’s biggest concern remains their bowling economy. Since the 2023 World Cup, they have conceded 6.41 runs per over on average, the worst among all teams in this period. This vulnerability was evident in their recent ODI series defeats against India (3-0), where opposition batters capitalised on England’s lack of control in the middle overs.

The absence of Ben Stokes and Sam Curran further complicates matters. Stokes, England’s talisman in high-pressure situations, has opted out to focus on his Test career, leaving a void in both leadership and middle-order stability. Curran, on the other hand, has seen his stock fall due to inconsistent performances with the ball, leading to his omission. Their absences mean England lack a left-handed middle-order batter, which could affect their flexibility against match-ups, and a left-arm seamer, limiting the variety in their attack. Jamie Overton and Brydon Carse will have to step up as seam-bowling all-rounders to fill the void left by Stokes and Curran.

Threat: Despite these challenges, the Champions Trophy presents England with a golden opportunity to rewrite history. It offers them the chance to overcome their spin vulnerabilities, refine their bowling execution, and embrace McCullum’s aggressive brand of cricket.

The “Bazball” philosophy, which revolutionised England’s Test cricket, is expected to make its way into their white-ball setup, encouraging fearless cricket even in challenging conditions. If executed well, this approach could unsettle opposition teams and give England the edge in close encounters.

England’s campaign for their maiden Champions Trophy title will kick off on February 22, against Australia in Lahore. Then they will face Afghanistan on February 26 at the same venue and in the last league match they will face South Africa in Karachi on March 1.

England squad: Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood.

Champions Trophy: Ben Duckett underwent scans, but the injury was not serious.© AFP

England suffered an embarrassing 3-0 ODI series defeat and 4-1 T20I series defeat at the hands of India in their recently-concluded tour, and legendary India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has launched a scathing criticism on them. In particular, Ashwin expressed disappointment at how lightly England seemingly took the series, and also emphasized his disapproval of excuses used by England following their defeats. In particular, England opener Ben Duckett came under the hammer from Ashwin after he’d said that they don’t mind losing the series 3-0 as long as England beat India in the Champions Trophy.

“If we lose 3-0 to India, I don’t care as long as we beat them in the final in the Champions Trophy. No one will probably look back on this series if we go and do the business in that competition,” Duckett had said after the 3-0 ODI series defeat.

Ashwin sharply responded to Duckett’s statements.

“No matter what Ben Duckett says, going into the Champions Trophy this series loss will create a big dent to their confidence,” Ashwin said, speaking on his YouTube channel.

“Ben Duckett has said similar things in the past too, saying Yashasvi Jaiswal has learnt to play aggressive cricket from England’s Bazball style. I know Ben Duckett and his penchant for humour, but this was no joke and it is like you are hiding your failures behind humour,” Ashwin added.

Ashwin also criticized the fact that England players seem to look for excuses after a series defeat. He also stated that the England team has been in a slump for a fair while now.

“Your 2023 ODI World Cup was pretty bad as well. It isn’t like they are in bad form over 2-3 months. It has been the case for four years now. Despite having such a talented group they are not able to justify their potential,” Ashwin stated.

“Even in Test cricket, I read somewhere a few days ago that Ben Stokes said that he doesn’t understand the points system of the WTC. My only advice to him is that if you don’t understand the points system, then first go and understand it. This is not a joke. Every time you lose, you bring up such lame excuses,” Ashwin said.

England will face Australia, South Africa and Afghanistan in what is expected to be a closely-fought group in the Champions Trophy 2025. England finished behind all three nations at the 2023 World Cup.

India captain Rohit Sharma expressed satisfaction after pacer Arshdeep Singh executed his plans to perfection in the third and final ODI against England in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. The incident happened after the second ball of the seventh over of England’s innings, with Arshdeep handing India a timely breakthrough with the dismissal of Ben Duckett. During Arshdeep’s previous over, Duckett smashed the pacer for four straight boundaries. However, as Duckett was starting to look dangerous, Arsdeep got rid off him in his next over.

Duckett, who was struggling with a groind problem, was unable to pick Arshdeep’s knuckle ball, mistiming his pull due to restricted foot movement. Rohit, stationed at mid-off, positioned himself perfectly under the ball and made no mistake. After taking the catch, Rohit did a brain-tap gesture, pointing out that Arshdeep’s plan worked just as he wanted to.

Rohit’s brilliance Duckett gone! #INDvsENG

pic.twitter.com/Wv1jJtMreX

— Over and out (@Over_and_out1) February 12, 2025

Arshdeep then also dismissed the other England opener, Phil Salt, who was caught at short third by Axar Patel.

Double-strike for Arshdeep Singh

And a successful powerplay for #TeamIndia

Follow The Match https://t.co/RDhJXhAI0N#INDvENG | @IDFCFIRSTBank | @arshdeepsinghh pic.twitter.com/F1lf3ur7yz

— BCCI (@BCCI) February 12, 2025

Earlier, Shubman Gill kept up his good form to hit 112 and help India reach 356 all out, their highest-ever total at the Narendra Modi Stadium. 

Gill put on 116 runs for the second wicket with Virat Kohli, who hit 52, laying the foundation for a challenging total after they were put in to bat first in Ahmedabad.

Shreyas Iyer also hit a 64-ball 78 as England’s bowlers struggled, apart from leg-spinner Adil Rashid‘s impressive 4-64.

Skipper Rohit Sharma departed for one, caught behind off Mark Wood in a disappointing outing after his 119 in the previous match gave India an unbeatable 2-0 series lead.

Gill, who took back the opening spot from Yashasvi Jaiswal, raised his third successive fifty after scores of 87 and 60 in the first two wins.

Kohli reached a run-a-ball fifty to get back among the runs after an inconsistent Test series in Australia.

Rashid got Kohli with a delivery that pitched in the middle and spun sharply to take the bat’s edge and land in the gloves of wicketkeeper Phil Salt.

Kohli was dismissed by Rashid in Cuttack and his latest dismissal was the fifth time he fell to the leg-spinner in 10 meetings.

Gill, who leads the series batting with 259 runs, kept up the pace and put on 104 runs with Iyer before he was bowled off a googly by Rashid.

(With AFP Inputs)

Indian batters faltered against an incisive England bowling attack as the visitors raised their game in a must-win scenario to win the third T20I by 26 runs and keep the five-match series alive on Tuesday. Mohammed Shami made a solid comeback to international cricket after 14 months but it was Varun Chakravarthy’s bowling effort that stood out as his five-wicket haul helped India limit England to 171/9. India should have chased down the target but the batters could only manage 145/9 in 20 overs. India still lead the series 2-1 with the fourth game scheduled in Pune on January 31.

While express pace combine of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood did the job in the powerplay, Adil Rashid applied the choke in the middle overs with a skillful display of leg-spin.

Unsettled by the extra pace of Archer in the first two games, Sanju Samson (3 off 6) fell to the England pacer once again while trying to hit a short of length ball out of the park.

His opening partner Abhishek Sharma (24 off 14) played some crisp shots before falling to Brydon Carse.

Suryakumar Yadav (14 off 7) started with a trademark pick up shot off Archer that went all the way but a similar shot attempted off Wood brought about his downfall, extending his lean run.

The turning point of India’s innings was the dismissal of Tilak Varma (18 off 14) who had returned not out in his last four outings including two hundreds and a half-century.

It took a special ball from Rashid to send back Varma as the leg-spinner got one to turn sharply from outside the off-stump and crash into the middle stump.

Hardik Pandya (40 off 35) took the game deep but was not able to take his team over the line.

Earlier, England lost their way after a whirlwind fifty from Ben Duckett (51 off 28) as the in-form Chakravarthy ran through the opposition batting on a flat track.

From 83 for one, England slipped to 127 for eight before Liam Livingstone (43 off 24) went on a six-hitting spree to end the innings on a high.

Chakravarthy completed his second five-wicket haul in T20s when he bowled Jofra Archer with a googly.

While Ravi Bishnoi (4/46 in 4 overs) and Washington Sundar (0/15 in 1) proved expensive, Chakravarthy (5/24 in four), Hardik (33/2 in 4) and Axar Patel (1/19 in 3) kept things tight from their end.

Shami (0/25 in 3) did not set the stage on first but it was important that he had an incident free outing After being put in to bat, England made a promising start by coasting to 52/1.

England have struggled against the Indian spinners in the series but Duckett overcame that challenge with some audacious strokeplay on way to his second T20 fifty. He danced down the track, employed the scoop and reverse hits to unsettle the opposition attack.

He was the aggressor in his 76-run stand with skipper Jos Buttler (24 off 22) but the duo fell in quick succession to lose the momentum in the middle overs. Among the shots Duckett pulled off included a scoop over the keeper’s head off Shami’s second over.

When Shami marked his run up before toss, it was confirmed that he would be playing his first international since the ODI World Cup final in November 2023.

On a flat track, Shami, who replaced Arshdeep Singh as the sole specialist pacer in the playing eleven, was tasked with bowling the opening over of the match.

He induced a couple of play and misses in his opening spell that read 0/15 in two overs. Shami returned to bowl the 19th over which went for 11 runs, capping off an incident free outing.

He bowled balls close to 140kmph and got the ball to shape away, allaying concerns over his fitness.

At 83 for one, England were on course for 200 with Duckett going all guns blazing and deep batting line-up to follow.

However, the momentum shifted India’s way when Chakravarthy had Buttler caught behind with the latter getting a faint tickle attempting a reverse sweep.

Duck was holed out at deep mid-wicket in the following over from Axar, leaving England at 87 for three at the halfway mark.

Chakravarthy removed Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton off successive balls in the 14th over to make matters worse for England.

New Zealand tore through England’s batting Tuesday to crush the visitors by 423 runs in the third Test and send Tim Southee into retirement on a triumphant note. The hosts sealed a dominant performance in Hamilton by claiming seven wickets in 41.2 overs on day four as England crumbled for 234. It was New Zealand’s equal highest victory by runs and a complete reversal from the first two Tests, which England won easily to clinch the three-match series. Playing on his home ground at Seddon Park, seamer Southee finished with 2-34 in his 107th and final Test, ending the career of one of New Zealand’s finest players. 

He finishes with 391 Test wickets, second only to Richard Hadlee among New Zealanders.

“I want to thank New Zealand Cricket for everything you have done. My family, who are there for the ride and see the ups and downs,” said the 36-year-old Southee.

“And my team-mates. These guys have made the ride so much more enjoyable, I have loved every minute.

“And finally the fans. It is always great to turn out in front of numbers. This week has been pretty special to play at Seddon Park in front of a great crowd.”

New Zealand only needed to take nine second-innings wickets for an emphatic victory because England skipper Ben Stokes did not bat.

Stokes suffered a hamstring injury on Monday.

Stokes said it was disappointing to end the series in the manner England did.

“You can’t fault any of the energy or effort we put into the game,” he said.

“Obviously it’s not ideal to end a series on this note but New Zealand are a strong side and didn’t give up.

“We want to come out and win every game we play. We wanted to leave with three victories in the bag.”

England crumble

After resuming at 18-2, England never threatened their enormous target of 658, their hopes dwindling further when losing Jacob Bethell for 76, Joe Root for 54 and Harry Brook for just one before lunch.

They looked comfortable for the first hour before Root departed, having put on 104 for the third wicket with Bethell.

England’s greatest run-scorer was trapped lbw attempting to sweep left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner.

Having been given not out, New Zealand successfully reviewed, with ball-tracking showing the ball would have hit the middle stump.

It left 33-year-old Root 28 runs short of becoming the fifth player to score 13,000 Test runs.

Brook, who scored match-winning centuries in each of the first two Tests, was out cheaply for the second time at Seddon Park, caught behind off a sharply rising Will O’Rourke delivery.

Left-hander Bethell batted fluently, striking 13 fours and a six, until he swung at a wide Southee delivery to be caught at deep point.

Ollie Pope (17) was bowled attempting to reverse scoop pace bowler Matt Henry before Gus Atkinson‘s hard-hit 43 ended when caught in the deep off Santner.

Matthew Potts and Brydon Carse fell cheaply, also trying to hit Santner out of the ground.

All-rounder Santner justified his recall by taking 4-85 to finish with seven wickets in the match, alongside scores of 76 and 49 with the bat.

England shattered records with another ‘Bazball’ run-chase of 104 runs during the first Test against New Zealand at Christchurch’s Hagley Oval on Sunday, taking the least amount of overs to complete a 100-plus run chase in history of Test cricket. Set a target of 104 runs, England did lose Zak Crawley for just one run, but knocks from Ben Duckett (27 in 18 balls, with four boundaries and a six), Jacob Bethell, the Test debutant (50* in 37 balls, with eight fours and a six) and Joe Root (23* in 15 balls, with three boundaries and a six) helped them complete the chase in just 12.4 overs, the fastest-ever in Test history. Previously, the record was held by the losing side, NZ, who had chased down 109 against Bangladesh in 18.4 overs back in 2017 at the same venue.

Also, the run rate of 8.21 is the highest ever by a team in a successful run-chase of 100 runs or more.

Previously, this record was held by the West Indies, who had a run rate of 6.82 while successfully chasing 172 against India in Kingston back in 1983. This was the first time in the 147-year history of Test cricket when a team maintained a run rate of over 8 in a run chase of 100 or above.

England have now won the first Test of five consecutive series (two home and three overseas). Their last defeat in a Test series opener was in the Ashes 2023 (at Edgbaston).

Coming to the match, England won the toss and opted to field first. The fifties from Kane Williamson (93 in 197 balls, with 10 fours) and Glenn Phillips (58 in 87 balls, with six fours and a six) were crucial in NZ reaching 348/10.

Brydon Carse (4/64) and Shoaib Bashir (4/69) were top bowlers for England.

In the next innings, thanks to a fine century from a red-hot Harry Brook (171 in 197 balls, with 15 fours and three sixes) and half-centuries from Ollie Pope (77 in 98 balls, with eight fours) and skipper Ben Stokes (80 in 146 balls, with nine fours), England took a lead of 151 runs, before getting all out for 499 runs.

In their next innings, despite fifties from Kane (61 in 86 balls, with seven fours) and Daryl Mitchell (84 in 167 balls, with 12 fours and a six), the Kiwis were bundled out for 254 runs, giving themselves only 103 runs lead. Carse (6/42) completed a memorable ten-wicket haul while Chris Woakes got three scalps.

England chased down the total with eight wickets in hand, Bethell unbeaten with Joe Root (23* in 15 balls, with three fours and a six).

Carse secured a ‘Player of the Match’ for his 10 wicket haul and a knock of 33* in 24 balls in the first innings.

England is 1-0 up in the three-match series, with second Test in Wellington from December 6 onwards.

Pakistan vs England, 3rd Test Day 1, Live Updates© AFP

Ben Duckett in action for England against Pakistan© AFP

Pakistan spinner Sajid Khan took three wickets in the space of 10 deliveries including centurion Ben Duckett to leave England on 239-6 in the second Test in Multan on Wednesday. An absorbing second day’s play on a turning pitch ultimately belonged to the hosts, who lead by 127 runs after their first-innings 366. England had been cruising nicely at 211-2 when Sajid removed Joe Root (34), Duckett (114) and Harry Brook (nine) in the final session. From the other end, fellow spinner Noman Ali dismissed England skipper Ben Stokes for one as a suddenly rattled England lost four wickets in the space of 14 runs.

At the close, Jamie Smith on 12 and Brydon Carse (two) were at the crease. With the Multan pitch — which was also used for the first Test — offering sharp spin, the home team will be looking for a lead in the first innings for a series-levelling win.

England lead the three-match series 1-0 following their innings and 47 run win in the first Test. In all, 11 wickets fell on the day with Sajid taking 4-86 and Noman 2-75.

Sajid bowled first Test triple century-maker Brook with a sharp turning delivery while Root — who smashed 262 in the last match — was bowled off an inside edge while sweeping.

“I watched the first Test at home on television,” said Sajid, one of four Pakistan changes as they went with a spin-heavy attack.

“I noted Brook plays on the back foot so I bowled with a plan and got him out. Root is one of the best batters in the world so both these wickets are precious, but the job is not complete and we need 14 more wickets to win the Test.”

Aggressive Duckett

Before England’s slide it was opener Duckett who dominated with his fourth Test century. “I’ve felt in good form for the past year and sat there and spoken about wanting to score hundreds, nice to get over the line,” said Duckett.

“That fourth innings is going to be tricky and the pitch is going to continue to get worse.”

Duckett scored aggressively before edging a drive off Sajid to the slip, where Salman Agha took a sharp catch. Duckett had swept spinner Agha for a boundary to reach his century off 120 deliveries, having completed his half-century off 47 balls. 

The hosts used Sajid in the second over as they chased an early England wicket but Zak Crawley held out twice. At 49-0 he survived a run-out when Sajid removed the stumps before grabbing the ball with the England opener out of his crease having being sent back by Duckett.

On 24 Crawley overturned a leg-before decision by New Zealand umpire Chris Gaffaney off Sajid before his luck ran out three runs later. Crawley was caught behind for 27 off left-arm spinner Noman as the home team successfully reviewed a not-out decision by Sri Lankan umpire Kumar Dharmasena.

Earlier, Pakistan’s tail had frustrated England by adding 107 runs after resuming at 259-5, with Jamal and Noman adding an invaluable 49 runs for the ninth wicket. But from 358-8 at lunch Jamal was dismissed off the very first ball after the interval, bowled by seamer Carse, who finished with 3-50.

Spinner Jack Leach ended Noman’s 32-run knock by having him caught in the deep by Carse to finish with 4-114.