Michael Vaughan brutally hammers England Cricket Team after Champions Trophy exit by Afghanistan

Former England captain Michael Vaughan showered praise on Afghanistan following their victory over the Jos Buttler-led team in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Michael Vaughan said that he was not surprised at England’s early exit from the Champions Trophy, considering their recent white-ball performances.

Afghanistan secured an eight-run victory over England in the Champions Trophy at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on February 26. They are still in the semi-final race from Group B. Meanwhile, England were eliminated from the event after back-to-back defeats. They lost their opening match against Australia.

England Just Haven’t Played Good Enough White-Ball Cricket - Michael Vaughan

Michael Vaughan said Afghanistan fully deserved their victory, calling their performance brilliant. He stated that England have not played well in white-ball cricket for the past few years. Vaughan added that England’s loss was not surprising given the conditions.

"Brilliant from Afghanistan .. Throughly deserved win .. England just haven’t played good enough white ball cricket for a couple of years .. this result isn’t a surprise in these conditions .. #ChampionsTrophy2025," Michael Vaughan wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Brilliant from Afghanistan .. Throughly deserved win .. England just haven’t played good enough white ball cricket for a couple of years .. this result isn’t a surprise in these conditions .. #ChampionsTrophy2025

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) February 26, 2025

The Jos Buttler-led team will face South Africa in their last group-stage match at the National Stadium in Karachi on Saturday, March 1. It will be crucial for South Africa to confirm their berth for the knockout stage.

Ibrahim Zadran's Brilliant Knock Guides Afghanistan to Victory

Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bat first against England in a must-win match. However, they lost three early wickets, but Ibrahim Zadran played a brilliant knock to help the team post a massive total of 325/7. The right-handed batter scored 177 runs off 146 balls, including 12 fours and 6 sixes.

Hashmatullah Shahidi (40), Azmatullah Omarzai (41), and Mohammad Nabi (40) chipped in with valuable contributions. For England, Jofra Archer (3-64) and Liam Livingstone (2-28) were among the wicket-takers.

In response, England came close to securing the victory. Joe Root scored 120 off 111 balls, but they were bowled out for 317 in 49.5 overs. Azmatullah Omarzai took a match-winning five-wicket haul (5-58) to seal the victory. Afghanistan, Australia, and South Africa remain in contention for a semi-final spot.

England’s White-Ball Struggles Continue Since 2023 ODI World Cup

England’s struggles in white-ball cricket have continued since their disappointing 2023 ODI World Cup campaign, where they failed to reach the semi-finals despite being defending champions.

They had failed to defend the T20 World Cup in 2024, where they suffered a semi-final exit. Head coach Matthew Mott was sacked, and Brendon McCullum was appointed after Marcus Trescothick’s interim stint.

Former players like Kevin Pietersen and Steve Harmison criticized England’s casual approach, especially after their disastrous tour of India, where they suffered an ODI series whitewash before heading into the Champions Trophy.

Jos Buttler led England to T20 World Cup glory in 2022, but he has struggled in the last three ICC events, both as a captain and with the bat.

Also read: Rohit Sharma to be Ruled Out of Champions Trophy 2025? Indian skipper adds worrying update