England's captain, Jos Buttler, acknowledges that his team faces significant challenges and room for improvement as they prepare to face the Netherlands and Pakistan in their final two group-stage matches in the 2023 World Cup. England's campaign in this tournament has been quite disappointing, with just one victory in their first seven games.
During the toss, Captain Buttler expressed his team's focus on qualifying for the Champions Trophy and competing for a spot in the top 8 of the ongoing tournament. The top 7 teams in the 2023 World Cup, along with the host nation, Pakistan, will secure a place in the 2025 tournament.
Buttler stated during the toss, "We will bat first today. It does look like a good wicket. We are looking to make the most of it. Need to bat well and post a good score on the board." He emphasised the importance of the upcoming matches, saying, "These are crucial matches for us. The Champions Trophy is one such tournament where we would love to be involved. Hope we play well and get there."
England's batting line-up has fallen short of expectations in this World Cup, struggling to post imposing totals.
Jos Buttler acknowledged, "There is so much to improve. Plenty of room for improvement The boys, as always, have worked hard and are ready to go."
When asked how they can salvage their pride, Buttler emphasised the need for belief and trust in their abilities. He also mentioned two changes to the team, bringing in young talents Harry Brook and Gus Atkinson in place of Liam Livingstone and Mark Wood.
Buttler stated, “It's all about belief, isn't it? We need to play good cricket. We need to have trust in ourselves. Even in challenging times like this, we need to have that belief."
"We have got two changes today. Harry Brook and Gus Atkinson come in for Liam Livingstone and Mark Wood," Buttler concluded.
Coming to the ongoing match between England and Netherlands, after opting to bat first, England got off to a decent start but lost the wicket of Jonny Bairstow in the seventh over with England at 48-1. Joe Root and Dawid Malan stitched a partnership and stabilised England's innings before Root was bowled over by Logan van Beek. Since then, they have not been able to recuperate and the Netherlands had them 180-5 after 31 overs.