Lahore: England captain Jos Buttler conceded that his team had ‘not been good enough’ after their eight-run defeat to Afghanistan knocked them out of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy here on Wednesday. In a high-pressure chase of 326 at the Gaddafi Stadium, Joe Root’s valiant 120 went in vain as Azmatullah Omarzai’s all-round brilliance scripted a historic Afghan victory.
The hero of the night was all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai, whose five-wicket haul and crucial 41 off 31 balls turned the match in his team’s favour. England, meanwhile, suffered their sixth consecutive ODI defeat—their worst streak since 2009—confirming their white-ball decline.
Buttler lamented England’s missed opportunities and said, “Disappointing to be knocked out of the tournament early. We had our chances in the game and we didn’t take them. Root played an unbelievable innings and we needed one of the top six batters to stay with him. The last 10 overs got away from us a bit. Credit to Ibrahim; he played a fantastic innings. 113 off the last 10 pushed them up to a very good score on that pitch,” said Buttler after the match.
England started positively, but Azmatullah removed Phil Salt early, and Mohammad Nabi struck with his first ball to dismiss Jamie Smith. Ben Duckett and Root rebuilt before Rashid Khan’s googly trapped Duckett LBW for 38.
Root continued to anchor the innings, stitching partnerships with Harry Brook and Buttler, who looked promising before falling for 42. Liam Livingstone’s struggles persisted as Gulbadin Naib struck, leaving England’s chase in jeopardy.
Buttler praised Joe Root, who scored his 17th ODI century off 98 balls, marking his first since the 2019 World Cup. His innings brought up a record-breaking 11th century in this Champions Trophy, surpassing previous tournament records.
“Unfortunately, in his 4th over, he (Wood) felt his knee, credit to him for bowling through the pain and showing a lot of character. It was difficult (in the death overs with Wood injured and Root bowling the 47th over). Livi was also off the field, but credit to him for coming back.
“He (Root) has been a brilliant player in all formats and showed us the way to handle the pressure. His ODI record is fantastic. If I knew I wouldn’t be playing the way I am (referring to his bad form), being one of the best players in the world, it is disappointing when you don’t perform. Don’t want to make any emotional decisions,” he added.
With 39 needed off 25, Azmatullah removed Root with a well-directed short ball, shifting the pressure to England’s lower order. Jamie Overton and Jofra Archer tried to keep hopes alive, but Azmatullah struck twice more, finishing with 5 for 58 to seal England’s fate.
Afghanistan’s victory, powered by Ibrahim Zadran’s 177 and Azmatullah Omarzai’s heroics, kept them alive in the tournament.
(IANS)
