Men’s ODI WC: We didn't perform as well as we would have liked, says England coach Mott

KOLKATA: England head coach Matthew Mott admitted the team hasn’t performed as well as it would have liked to in the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup and added that he was proud of the side for finishing a dismal campaign on a high.

England had won the 2019 World Cup at home on the back of a change in their approach, attacking with both bat and ball. Much was expected of them in their title defence in India, but six defeats in their first seven matches condemned them to an early exit from the tournament.

They were also at risk of losing a place at the 2025 Champions Trophy, but victories over the Netherlands and Pakistan in their final two matches helped them finish among the top eight teams in the competition, finishing in a disappointing seventh place.

"Definitely frustration (on the tournament campaign). We know we're a very good team and unfortunately, when it mattered the most, we didn't perform as well as we would have liked."

"We're incredibly disappointed. We came here with certain expectations and haven't delivered on that. I'm really proud of the way the guys finished and showed a lot of tenacity and resilience when we were out of the tournament a couple of weeks ago," Mott told the BBC.

Questions had been raised on Mott’s future as England coach, especially after the 2019 World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan alleged something was not right in the team. Mott, however, insisted that he will would like to continue in the role and is more determined than ever to be the England coach, which he signed up for on a contract of four years.

"Absolutely, I do. We've had a poor tournament, but we've got a lot to look forward to. We've got a lot of belief within this squad that we can turn this around and we'll look forward to the West Indies… if anything, I'm more determined than ever."

"It hasn't been a great tournament for everyone, but there's plenty of teams which are going to go (away) from here very disappointed with their performance as well. There's only one team that can win it. I'm pretty comfortable in my skin," he concluded.