England lost the first ODI against South Africa by seven wickets.
Another day, another humiliating defeat! That’s been the story for England in ODIs in the last three years. On Tuesday, they lost to South Africa by seven wickets after getting bundled out for just 131.
Following the disastrous World Cup 2023 campaign, England made some tough calls. But that didn’t make much difference as they suffered another group stage exit in the Champions Trophy earlier this year.
In the aftermath, they hit another reset button with Jos Buttler stepping down and Harry Brook taking over the reins. Things haven’t changed, however, with the downfall continuing. But what are the reasons for this steep decline?
The major reason for England’s repeated failures in the fifty-over format is their batters’ inability to find the right tempo. There has been a significant reduction in the amount of ODI cricket they have played in the last four years. At the same time, T20 leagues have taken precedence.
Moreover, England Test stars have often been rested from white-ball cricket to manage the workload in the past. Their domestic structure has also been under scrutiny. It has reduced the fifty-over competition to an afterthought since the introduction of The Hundred.
All of it has led to top England international stars not getting a consistent run of games in ODIs. The outcome is what we saw on Tuesday, where none of the batters could hang around.
A clinical win from the Proteas to go 1-0 up against England in the ODI series#ENGvSA 📝: https://t.co/Lc2SVFKlp7 pic.twitter.com/4fzwRLzC81
— ICC (@ICC) September 2, 2025
Reliable number 5-6 are pivotal for a successful ODI side. When England were at their peak, they had Ben Stokes and Buttler doing incredible things.
Buttler, in particular, was among the best batters in the world while playing a difficult role. Between May 2015 to December 2022, he amassed 2,995 runs in ODI cricket at an average of 44.70 while striking at 122.69. He registered nine centuries and 15 half-centuries in this period.
In contrast, Buttler has averaged 34.96 since the beginning of 2023 while striking at 101. He has managed to hit only one hundred and five fifties during this time. It is not surprising that his fall as a batter has directly correlated with England.
England, in the past, had great quality in their new-ball bowling resources. The likes of Jofra Archer, Chris Woakes, and David Willey had immense control and provided the team with early breakthroughs.
Having bowlers who can make the most of the new ball is extremely vital in ODIs. Archer has played very little ODI cricket in recent years while the other two were phased out of the team.
Since 2023, England have the 11th worst bowling average in the first 10 overs of the innings amongst full-member teams. The lack of new-ball threat has meant England have been chasing the game often.
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Like their bowling, England’s batting in the first 10 overs has also been a massive problem. After moving on from Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy, they tried Ben Duckett and Phil Salt at the top.
While Duckett has been pretty good, Salt failed to justify the team management’s backing. He played fewer than 30 balls per innings on average in his last 18 ODIs before being discarded. Jamie Smith has taken his place and has shown good signs. But it will take some time for him to develop into a reliable opener.
Since 2023, England average just 29.95 per wicket in the first 10 overs. How bad is it? Well, it’s the 15th-worst batting average amongst all teams. The top order failing to provide a solid platform has had effects on the entire batting unit.
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