Execution under pressure isn’t what we’d have liked: Coach Hopkinson

To say that England have had a forgettable World Cup would be understating the horror of their campaign in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. After seven games and just one victory, the defending champions are not only the first team to be eliminated but are also at the bottom of the table with the worst net run rate (-1.504) amongst all 10 teams. 

Unfortunately, their campaign isn’t getting easy soon as they face the Netherlands tomorrow (November 8) at the MCA Stadium in Pune. The Men In Orange have won two games in the competition and would like to win their remaining two games as well to assure their Champions Trophy qualification. It’s a must-win game for Scott Edwards’s side if they wish to remain in the hunt for a top-four finish on the points table. 

England’s fielding coach, Carl Hopkinson, faced the media before the clash tomorrow and was quite upright that despite England’s early ouster from the tournament, no game is meaningless for his side. He said, “ I don't think there's ever a dead rubber when you play for England. To be honest, I think the lads are completely up for - we've got two games in which we need to win both to qualify for the Champions Trophy, So I think that's there for everybody to see, and the guys are going to be obviously up for it and I think we'll be good tomorrow.”

Also read - Champions Trophy Qualification: Four teams fight for two remaining spots

England need to win both their remaining games if they wish to make it to the Champions Trophy in 2025. It would be quite embarrassing for the defending champions of the 2019 ODI World Cup and 2022 T20 World Cup if they failed to qualify for an ICC tournament. 

Carl Hopkinson is the first person from the current England management to face the media after his team’s elimination from the World Cup. When asked about what has gone wrong in England’s campaign so far, he pointed out the lack of execution under pressure situations as one of the main reasons behind England’s poor performance. He remarked,

“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 skilful team, it's a very talented team, but at key moments in certain situations, we haven't executed under pressure like we normally do.”

Hopkinson also dwelled on how the players in the squad can always “look to improve on in practice and everything you go about doing.” However, he added, “It's not to say that lads aren't trying to do that in practice; they obviously are, but we haven't got that right in key moments, and I think that's something that we can definitely improve on.”

Questions have also been raised about Head Coach Matthew Mott’s inability to manage the side, as former captain Eoin Morgan dialled down on lack of clarity and communication from the team management. Hopkinson, though, felt it wasn’t the case at all. He said, “The messaging is always the same and has been ever since Mott and Jos took over. Everybody knows how we like to play as a team. We like to be aggressive. We like to be on the front foot. And I don't think that messaging has changed. And I think it is very clear, and I've not seen or heard anything contrary to that, so no, I don't think that's the case at all.”

As England meets the Netherlands in Pune tomorrow, they would like to focus more on “actual skill execution”, as Coach Hopkinson said, and ensure that they sign off this campaign on a positive note.