Drama-filled World Cup 2023

A flawed England team

The England team that entered the World Cup in India in a bid to successfully defend its historic World Cup win in 2019 was left crestfallen after losing six matches and finishing seventh in the standings.

An empty Narendra Modi Stadium bore witness to Adil Rashid’s six-off of Josh Inglis on November 4th, marking England’s exit from the World Cup.

That’s how their campaign ended—without much fanfare but in silence. Nobody saw this coming; if one should tread back to the eve of England’s opening match against New Zealand, its captain, Jos Buttler, was heard saying, “We’re not defending anything.”

Buttler emphasised that England could not rely on past glories, but those words probably came calling at him during his time here in India. After five weeks of cricket, at the very ground, Buttler painted a dejected look at the post-match conference.

He said, “It’s certainly a low point, as a captain standing in this position, arriving in India with high hopes and then not making it. We certainly haven’t done ourselves justice,” he said.

Pakistan's misery

Despite its best efforts, Team Pakistan could not qualify for the final four for a second consecutive World Cup. They finished fifth with eight points to their name.

After DLS helped pave the way for Pakistan against New Zealand, there was light at the end of the tunnel, but that was eventually overshadowed by New Zealand, marking the end of Pakistan’s campaign.

It hasn’t been the smoothest World Cup for Pakistan, and things haven’t looked any better after its campaign closed out, with Inzamam-ul-Haq resigning from the post of Chief Selected and Babar Azam stepping down as Pakistan’s captain across all formats.

With new faces taking up responsibilities, time will stand witness to how things work out in cricket in the neighbouring nation.

A determined dutch

The Netherlands team have secured a special place in the hearts of millions of cricket enthusiasts with their performance at the 2023 World Cup.

This tournament served as a revelation for them, demonstrating that they can achieve remarkable feats on the grand stage. This was evident in their 38-run victory over South Africa.

Three key takeaways from the competition include a determined captain, experience at the grandest stage, and potential recognition in the cricketing world. Netherlands’ captain, Scott Edwards, displayed composure and calmness while leading the team throughout the tournament. His role will be crucial in shaping the future of Dutch cricket in the coming years.

Despite finishing at the bottom of the World Cup table, cricket fans worldwide witnessed Netherlands’ passion for the game. This passion is expected to play a significant role in their evolution.

Afghanistan in Champions Trophy 2025

In early November, Afghanistan kept its hopes of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals alive after beating the Netherlands by seven wickets in a low-scoring group game.

Afghanistan climbed to fifth in the standings back then with eight points, behind New Zealand on net run rate. What lay ahead of them were two mountains of a challenge, including five-time World Cup champions Australia and South Africa, to which Afghanistan faltered, bringing an end to a campaign of which they can be proud.

With wins against defending champion England and Babar’s Pakistan, Afghanistan soon became a favourite among the crowds in India. Coming into the tournament as underdogs, they can definitely be proud of the challenge they posed against tougher opponents.

After its final group stage game against South Africa, Rashid Khan said that “Afghanistan has played its best ODI World Cup campaign ever.” Their sixth-place finish earned the team a spot in the Champions Trophy in 2025.