The defending champions suffered a 69-run thrashing at the hands of Afghanistan.
Invited to bat first, Afghanistan posted 284/10 on the board in 49.5 overs. Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz top scored with 57-ball 80 while wicketkeeper-batter Ikram Alikhil played a crucial knock of 58 in 66 balls.
In reply, England batters failed to tackle Afghanistan’s spin challenge, getting bowled out for a paltry 215 in 40.3 overs. Rashid Khan (3-37), Mujeeb Ur Rahman (3-51) and Mohammad Nabi (2-16) ran through the English line-up with eight wickets among them.
In the aftermath of the shocking result, former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer didn’t miss a chance to tease ex-England skipper Michael Vaughan. The two often engaged in banter and this time Vaughan was at the receiving end.
“Hope you're ok @MichaelVaughan #ENGvAFG #CWC23,” Jaffer wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Despite the loss to Afghanistan, Vaughan expressed confidence that the Jos Buttler-led side will make it to the World Cup 2023 semi-final.
However, Indian batting legend Virender Sehwag gave a twist to Vaughan’s post and trolled him by writing: “Not in 1996, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2023. Just one in 8 attempts.”
Notably, England have lost two out of their three matches in the ongoing World Cup so far. They lost to New Zealand in the tournament opener before bouncing back to defeat Bangladesh. However, the loss to Afghanistan has put them in a bit of trouble.
England’s next World Cup match is scheduled against South Africa at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Saturday (October 21).