Former England captains Michael Vaughan and Michael Atherton have rounded on the current side after they bowed out of the World Twenty20 with a humiliating 45-run loss to the Netherlands in Chittagong.
Bowled out for just 88 with more than two overs to spare in reply to the Netherlands’ 133 for five, defeat set the seal on a miserable tour program for England, already unable to reach the semi-finals of this event, following their 5-0 Ashes series loss in Australia.
Early in the match on Monday, former batsman Vaughan told his Twitter followers: “I have a feeling this could be an embarrassing sort of day.”
But it arguably proved worse than even Vaughan forecast, with only three England batsmen making double figures – Ravi Bopara ‘top-scoring’ with a meagre 18 – in an innings featuring just four fours and no sixes.
And after England’s innings ended in the 18th over with a farcical run-out, Vaughan tweeted: “That sums it up…. #Garbage”.
This defeat was worse than England’s Lord’s loss to the non-Test Netherlands at the 2009 World Twenty20, a clash that at least went to the last ball.
Referring to that match, and the ‘minnows’ traditional bright orange shirts – colours adopted by England this tournament – Atherton said: “(England have been) tangoed again. Unbelievable.
“This is a team that is totally shot of confidence,” the former opener added.
“This has now been a six-month period, from the start of the Ashes … and this is a team absolutely devoid of confidence.
“This was bad – total disintegration in the Ashes, and a lack of improvement in the one-day game as well.”
Former England coach David Lloyd, Atherton’s fellow Sky pundit and also an ex-Lancashire and England opening batsman, was scathing about England’s latest in a line of dreadful displays.
“We have been diabolical all winter … we can’t get any worse than this,” Lloyd said.
“Brainless, shameful, totally unacceptable.”
Monday’s defeat did little to enhance the prospects of England limited overs coach Ashley Giles taking over as head coach following Andy Flower’s decision to step down after the Ashes thrashing.
