Champions Trophy 2025: How England's 'excuses' couldn't save their spiritless campaign

England’s campaign at the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy turned out to be another nightmare as they crashed out in the group stage after failing to win a single game. Despite playing their first two matches at the same venue in Lahore, where they had the opportunity to adapt, England looked completely out of depth. Instead of introspection, what followed was a string of excuses from former and current players, attempting to justify yet another dismal tournament.

A familiar script of excuses

As soon as England’s hopes faded, the blame game began. Former England captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton, who remained silent when the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) protested against India’s matches being moved to a neutral venue in Dubai, have now raised concerns about India having an unfair advantage due to playing all their games at a single venue. This came after England started losing their games at the Champions Trophy.

England skipper Jos Buttler, who stepped down following his team’s exit from the Champions Trophy, also took a dig at the scheduling of the tournament, suggesting it favours India. Even though Buttler stated that it isn’t something he is worried about, his comment questioning the arrangements amid England’s poor show didn’t go unnoticed.

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Meanwhile, critics have pointed out that England failed to prepare for the Champions Trophy adequately. England’s inability to cope with spin was highlighted once again, with some players and experts arguing that the wickets did not allow for their aggressive batting approach. However, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa, who played on the same surfaces, managed to thrive, further exposing England’s shortcomings.

Former Indian cricketers Ravi Shastri and R Ashwin did not hold back in their criticism of England’s subpar performances in the subcontinent. Shastri bluntly stated, “Take playing in the subcontinent seriously with no excuses. Only then you will be recognised as a Team that can TRAVEL.”

Ashwin echoed similar sentiments, questioning why England have continuously failed to perform in subcontinent conditions. Ashwin slammed England for treating subcontinent tours as a mere formality rather than an opportunity to learn and adapt. England recently suffered a 3-0 defeat against India in a bilateral ODI series, during which batter Ben Duckett dismissed concerns about a whitewash, stating that their focus was on beating India in the Champions Trophy final.

“The World Cups England won in 2019 (ODI) at home and in 2022 (T20I) in Australia, they actually haven’t come to the sub-continent and won anything of repute. Teams like Australia travel very well. They prepare well. They perform well. South Africa also prepares. They put in good performances. But England, I still feel, treats sub-continental tours just as a tick box. Has the time come for England to really dig in and think about it?”

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England’s struggles in the subcontinent are no longer isolated incidents. This marks the second consecutive ICC event in the region where they have failed to make it past the first round. Their 2023 ODI World Cup campaign was a disaster, finishing seventh in the points table, and now, in the Champions Trophy, they couldn’t manage even a single win at a venue they played twice.

This shows why England should rethink their approach of playing in the subcontinent.