“It’s not likely” - Former cricketer’s massive statement on England’s chances at 2025 Champions Trophy

Former all-rounder Mark Butcher has questioned England’s 50-over credentials ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025. The remarks came after the tourists lost the ODI series by a 0-3 margin to India ahead of the ICC event.

Butcher reckoned that England play only a few ODI games, which has affected their skill set. The cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out that someone like England skipper Jos Buttler has played two or three times less as compared to Indian, Australian, or West Indian players.

Butcher told Wisden.com:

“If you're talking about winning a Champions Trophy in a couple of weeks time, it's not likely is it? That our team and the make-up of it and the experience of it is going to have the skill and the nous and the know-how to win what is a very difficult form of cricket, 50-over cricket. It requires more than just putting your foot to the floor and keeping it there."

He continued:

“We're kind of back in that situation now whereby the India players will out number the number of caps of even someone like Jos Buttler for example, by at least two to one or three to one.”

“I remember back in the 90s when England would play three Texaco Trophy matches during the course of the summer, the sum total of England's 50-over cricket would be three to six matches per summer. They'd be playing against Indian sides, or West Indian sides or Australian sides, the difference in number of caps between them and our players was three times more on the other team,” Butcher added.

England have played 14 ODIs, including two three-match series against the West Indies, since the 2023 ODI World Cup, losing 10 and winning only four.

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“Know when to put the foot down and when to ease off a little bit” – Mark Butcher on England’s batting approach in ODIs ahead of Champions Trophy

Mark Butcher further highlighted the lack of game awareness among England players heading into the Champions Trophy. The 52-year-old said in the same interaction:

“There is a world of difference in terms of the tempo that the game needs to continuously be played at. I don't mean that the tempo is a rigid graph that only goes up, the tempo needs to fluctuate in 50-over cricket in a way that it doesn't need to in 20-over cricket."

"Having that skill and nous and game awareness to know when to put the foot down and when to ease off a little but, when to sit in and when to go hard, is something that only comes with playing lots of it,” he added.

Jos Buttler's England will begin their Champions Trophy campaign against Australia in Lahore on Saturday, February 22. They will next face Afghanistan and South Africa on February 26 and March 1, respectively.