England's fielding coach, Carl Hopkinson, opened up about the team's struggles at the 50-over Cricket World Cup in India, highlighting their difficulties in executing plans under pressure.
The 2019 champions, who arrived as pre-tournament favourites, have faced a disappointing campaign, losing six of their seven group matches and subsequently being eliminated from the competition.
Despite boasting a star-studded batting lineup that includes captains Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, and Joe Root, England has struggled to produce formidable totals, with just one 200-plus score in their last four outings.
Hopkinson emphasised the significance of executing under pressure in cricket and acknowledged that the team, known for performing well in high-pressure situations, had faltered at crucial moments during the tournament.
He commented, "It's about executing under pressure, isn't it? Everybody knows that, and I think this team has been well known for doing that really, really well. It's an incredibly skilled team, a very talented team, but at key moments in certain situations, we haven't executed under pressure like we normally do."
Looking ahead, England is now striving for a top-eight finish to secure qualification for the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan. Their upcoming matches against the Netherlands and Pakistan will play a pivotal role in determining their qualification fate.
When asked about the team's four-year plan to rectify their performance, Hopkinson emphasised the immediate focus on the upcoming matches. He stated, "I think first and foremost we have to think about what's coming tomorrow. I think anything that comes after that is what comes after that. We need to be thinking about tomorrow; we need to be thinking about Pakistan because we've got two very important games in which we need to win and win well to qualify for the Champions Trophy, which is what we need to do."
