The 2023 World Cup has reached the midway point of the group stage, and the standings are starting to become clearer. India leads the table with five wins in five matches and a strong run rate, making them the team to watch. New Zealand is also performing admirably.
However, the lower half of the standings includes teams that haven’t fully lived up to their potential. Some of these teams’ captains need to shoulder responsibility, especially if they haven’t performed well both in terms of their skills and strategies.
These are three captains who have not met expectations in the 2023 World Cup up to this point:
#1 England – Joss Buttler
The current ODI World Cup champions find themselves in the last position in the rankings, having won only one out of four matches and holding the worst net run rate in the tournament.
England has faced tough losses against South Africa and Afghanistan in addition to their initial defeat to New Zealand. Their upcoming match against India will be a significant challenge. But before that, they aim to secure two points against Sri Lanka.
Jos Buttler, who took over the captaincy from Eoin Morgan after England’s remarkable white-ball transformation, has not been in top form in the World Cup.
The team has made numerous changes to the playing XI, struggling to find the right combination. Furthermore, Buttler’s decision at the toss against South Africa was considered a basic mistake.
Buttler’s batting performance has also been below par, with only 87 runs in four innings at an average of 21.75. This has left England with a weak middle order.
The captain must improve his performance in the upcoming matches, both in his batting and his role as a leader, to prevent England from facing an embarrassing elimination in the group stage.
#2 Pakistan – Babar Azam
Babar Azam, who has faced constant criticism for his decision-making, is having a disappointing start to the 2023 World Cup.
Pakistan has lost three out of their first five matches, with the losses to India and Australia somewhat understandable, but their defeat to Afghanistan was disheartening.
The Pakistani team is dealing with various issues, including the performance of their spinners, the intent of their batters, the accuracy of their fast-bowlers, and their fielding. Another significant problem has been Babar’s captaincy decisions on the field.
He has persisted with spinners even when the ball was reversing against Afghanistan, and his batting approach has been questionable. Babar has only scored 157 runs in five innings, averaging 31.4 with a low strike rate of 79.69.
It wouldn’t be surprising if Babar doesn’t continue as the captain after the World Cup, unless Pakistan can turn their fortunes around and have a successful run in the tournament.
#1 Australia – Pat Cummins
Appointing fast-bowling captains in cricket is generally not a favored approach, and Australia’s selection of Pat Cummins for this role appears to be facing challenges, despite a promising beginning that suggested improved leadership.
Cummins is occupying a crucial place in the playing XI, often sharing the field with indispensable bowlers like Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, making it challenging to drop any of them. The team also lacks an additional spin bowling option, which has affected their performance at venues like Chepauk.
Furthermore, Cummins’ own bowling performance has been below par. Except for a notable spell against Sri Lanka, where he played a crucial role in Australia’s win, he has struggled. In four matches, Cummins has taken only five wickets with an economy rate of 6.63 and an average around 40.
Australia is currently in the fourth position in the standings with two wins in four matches. However, they are yet to face New Zealand and England, and they are not performing at their best. To regain their dominant World Cup form, Australia needs Cummins to step up his game.
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