England’s head coach, Matthew Mott, has urged fans to be patient with the new-look white-ball team, considering it is a work in progress. He stressed that the team has had only three opportunities to play together as a group.
The revamped England side suffered a four-wicket defeat to West Indies in the third and final ODI, resulting in a 2-1 series loss. This came after a disappointing ICC Cricket World Cup campaign, where the then-defending champions won only three out of nine matches and finished in seventh place.
A group of fresh talents, including Phil Salt, Will Jacks, Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Gus Atkinson, and Reham Ahmed, played under the leadership of skipper Jos Buttler. Only four players had played 10 or more ODIs. They faced the West Indies, who are also undergoing a transition after failing to qualify for the 50-over World Cup for the first time this year.
Despite being in strong positions for a significant part of the series, England couldn’t secure the win. Shai Hope, Romario Shepherd, Alick Athanaze, Sherfane Rutherford, and Matthew Forde produced impressive performances to secure the trophy.
Mott expressed frustration, stating that the group has not put a complete game together. However, he acknowledged positive signs and emphasized the camaraderie among the players.
“We have not put a complete game together, and that’s the frustration,” said Mott, England’s head coach. “We put ourselves in a chance to win all three games and come away with a series loss, so that is not ideal. But there are definitely some really good signs that there is a group of players who love playing with each other. They are good mates, and I think it will really take the game forward,” concluded Mott.
