Kevin Pietersen slams England batters after Champions Trophy exit
What's the story
The England cricket team was knocked out of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy after suffering a seven-wicket defeat to South Africa in Karachi. The match also ended Jos Buttler's stint as the white-ball captain of England. Opting to bat first, England were bowled out for 179 runs in 38.2 overs. The Proteas chased it down in 29.1 overs. Former cricketer Kevin Pietersen took to social media to slam England's batting approach.
Social media outburst
Pietersen criticizes England's aggressive batting
Pietersen, in his post on X, took a dig at England's aggressive batting approach, especially their attempt to play 'Bazball' style cricket. He wrote, "More care has to be taken in ODI cricket for a batters wicket. To say it's an extension of a T20 and you can swing like a rusty gate is utter BS!"
Match highlights
South Africa's dominant bowling performance
South African bowlers Marco Jansen and Wiaan Mulder made the most of England's aggressive approach with impeccable line and length. Prominent English batsmen such as Phil Salt, Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett, and Harry Brook fell to rash shots. Joe Root was the highest scorer for England with 37 runs before being sent back by Mulder. Buttler managed a 43-ball 21 without a boundary.
Tournament progress
South Africa secure semi-final spot
South Africa chased down the target with ease, reaching 180/3 with 125 balls remaining. Heinrich Klaasen and Rassie van der Dussen formed a crucial 127-run partnership for the third wicket. Van der Dussen remained unbeaten on 72 runs off 87 balls. This victory secured South Africa's place in the semi-finals. Australia, India, and New Zealand are the other semi-finalists.
Strategy analysis
England's batting strategy under scrutiny
England's Bazball strategy has been questioned since 2024, given their aggressive approach in ODIs. They have taken this route in more than half of their innings but have failed to be consistent. On the other hand, they have fared well when they rotated the strike early in their innings. This defeat ends a tough tournament for England, who lost all three of their pool matches.
Run
Dimsal run in white-ball cricket
As per Cricbuzz, England have lost 10 of their last 11 limited-overs contests. Their dismal run includes four T20I defeats (to India) and six losses in ODIs (three to India and one each to Australia, Afghanistan, and South Africa). India routed England 3-0 in ODIs at home this year. Moreover, England have now suffered seven successive ODI defeats, dating back to November 2024.