Champions Trophy: Sanjay Manjrekar criticizes England for their 'bravado'
What's the story
Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has slammed England's performance and attitude in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy.
He spoke about it on the JioHotstar mid-game show, after England's match against South Africa.
Despite having no chance to qualify for the semi-finals, England opted to bat first in Karachi.
Their decision backfired as they lost early wickets and managed to score just 179 all out. South Africa later chased it down in 29.1 overs.
Strategy scrutiny
Manjrekar questions England's strategy
Manjrekar also questioned the strategy of England's team, especially their aggressive approach to batting.
He said, "It's just almost embarrassing to see everybody go out there." He added, "I mean, your team is struggling, you've got 3 or 4 wickets down. 50 overs is a long format now. Everyone still comes in and wants to play shots."
This criticism was aimed at players like Liam Livingstone who have consistently underperformed in recent matches.
Performance analysis
Manjrekar identifies 'bravado' in England's performance
Manjrekar spotted what he called 'bravado' in England's display.
He said, "You know, he's a nervous guy. I think Jofra Archer as well is a nervous character."
He added this bravado is an effort to show themselves as attacking players despite the fact that they are struggling.
Manjrekar said players like Joe Root are showing true character while others are hiding behind a facade of positivity and aggression.
Defeat
End of England's Champions Trophy journey
England crashed out of the 2025 Champions Trophy without a win, losing to Australia, Afghanistan, and South Africa.
This also marked the end of Jos Buttler's captaincy tenure. Ahead of the South Africa encounter, Buttler announced his resignation as England's white-ball captain.
Buttler has led England to 18 wins in 45 ODIs between 2016 and 2025. He was appointed England's full-time limited-overs skipper in 2022.
Bazball
Has Bazball backfired in white-ball cricket?
England have been a formidable force in Tests ever since Brendon McCullum took over as their head coach.
McCullum's Bazball approach has helped England record several Test series wins over several tough opponents.
The method is not restricted to their batting. The other aspects such as field placements and bowling changes also reflect the same.
However, Bazball has certainly backfired in white-ball cricket so far.