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Cricket World Cup 2023

Marks out of 10: Player ratings for England at World Cup 2023

England player ratings 2023 World Cup
by Katya Witney 4 minute read

England’s disastrous World Cup campaign has finally come to an end. Here are the player ratings for all of their squad members.

Jonny Bairstow – 3/10

9 matches, 215 runs at 23.88, SR: 88.47, HS: 59

Bairstow’s full return to the ODI team was disappointing. The remaining half of England’s greatest ever men’s ODI opening partnership, he failed to get going in the way watchers have been accustomed to over the last six years. There were a couple of fifties, but a strike rate below 90 is a tell-tale sign that he was unable to wreak the sort of carnage he has previously. The fact that Joe Root came in during the powerplay in seven of England’s

Dawid Malan – 7/10

9 matches, 404 runs at 44.88, SR: 101.0, HS: 140

Despite getting bogged down during the middle period of the tournament where England were at their worst, Malan reached 50 three times and leaves with England’s highest score of the tournament. His 140 against Bangladesh was his fourth of the year, and he manage to find the balance between aggression and scoring runs. This World Cup could be Malan’s last outing in ODIs, and if it is then he’s made sure to go out on a note of personal success.

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Joe Root – 3/10

9 matches, 276 runs at 30.66, SR: 88.46, HS: 82

Root’s performance was arguably the most frustrating for England fans to watch. Used to seeing him calmly go about his business at a run-a-ball, casually trotting up past 50 innings after innings, he was in horrible touch for the majority of the tournament. His wicket against the Netherlands was the perfect encapsulation of his campaign, mis-executing a reverse-scoop in a desperate attempt to break the shackles and was bowled between his legs. The most surprising thing about his record in this World Cup is that he passed 50 three times.

Ben Stokes – 7/10

6 matches, 304 runs at 50.66, SR: 89.14, HS: 108

After missing the first three games of the tournament, Stokes took a while to warm up. His dismissal against India, a massive hoik at Mohammed Shami, seemed to flick the switch. He top scored with an anchoring 64 against Australia but ultimately couldn’t get the innings over the line, before a sublime century against the Netherlands. His final innings against Pakistan was another masterpiece.

Harry Brook – 4/10

6 matches, 169 runs at 28.16, SR: 112.66, HS: 66

A substantial portion of this World Cup from and England perspective has been spent shouting for Brook to be included in the starting XI. But, it should also be mentioned that in the games before Stokes was available, Brook did not perform to a level that made it a difficult decision to drop him when Stokes was fit again. He made a good half-century against Afghanistan and showed his potential at the end of the innings against Pakistan. Brook didn’t set the world alight in India as many predicted, but he did enough maintain his status as the most prominent player whom which England should look to for their ODI future.

Jos Buttler – 2/10

9 matches, 138 runs at 15.33, SR: 97.18, HS: 43

Buttler had a truly appalling tournament. He looked out of form with the bat and failed to make it past 50. In fact, until their final match against Pakistan he’d failed to make it past 15 in his previous six innings. As a captain, he was under constant scrutiny for the selection decisions, even if they weren’t entirely his responsibility, and his decisions at the toss.

Liam Livingstone – 3/10

6 matches, 60 runs at 10.00, SR: 63.82, HS: 27
3 wickets at 52.66, ER: 5.44, BBI: 1-13

Livingstone’s three points come largely from his efforts with the ball. He proved to be reliable as a third, and at times second, spinner on sub-continental surfaces. Nevertheless, as a lower-order batter not only did he fail to produce any innings of substance, but his ability to smash the ball out of the park was also lacking. He didn’t hit a single six in the tournament, and finishes with a strike-rate a touch above 60. England now have questions to answer regarding his suitability to ODI cricket going forward.

Moeen Ali – 4/10

6 matches, 5 wickets at 49.60, ER: 5.7, BBI: 3-42
95 runs at 15.83, SR: 74.80, HS: 42

Moeen bowled well on slow pitches against the Netherlands and Pakistan, and was reasonably tidy with the ball throughout the tournament. With the bat he was as unpredictable as ever.

David Willey – 7/10

6 matches, 11 wickets at 23.54, ER: 5.18, BBI: 3-45
78 runs at 19.50, SR: 116.41, HS: 67

Willey has now bowed out of England duty having unceremoniously not been offered a central contract midway through the tournament. He finishes as England’s leading wicket-taker among seam-bowlers for the tournament, and was effective as ever with the new ball. He outshone the pre-tournament first-choice attack and finishes the campaign with the best economy rate of any England bowler. There were also some impressive lower-order cameo blitzes with the bat.

Chris Woakes – 4/10

8 matches, 10 wickets at 29.80, ER: 5.41, BBI: 4-54
131 runs at 18.71, SR: 84.51, HS: 51

Woakes started the tournament poorly. He was unable to find the sort of control England are used to from him and after a dire performance against Afghanistan he spent a match on the sidelines. His tournament looked belatedly back on track after an impressive performance against India, but by that point the damage was done. A fine half-century in a big partnership with Stokes against the Netherlands looks important in helping ensure England qualified for the 2025 Champions Trophy.

Sam Curran – 2/10

3 matches, 2 wickets at 70.00, ER: 8.07, BBI: 1-48
35 runs at 11.66, SR: 61.40, HS: 14

Curran wasn’t seen on the field again in the tournament after the match against Afghanistan. After taking a wicket in his first over of the tournament it all went downhill from there. In some part, the leadership must take some responsibility for selecting Curran without a clear idea of what his role would be. Curran is young enough and has enough potential to feature in ODIs again at some point, but after his World Cup experience it would be productive on all sides for him to take a breather from the format after the tournament.

Gus Atkinson – 6/10

3 matches, 4 wickets at 36.50, ER: 6.08, BBI: 2-45

Atkinson played a limited part in England’s campaign but looked mutedly impressive when he did play. He was the pick of the seamers when all the rest were hammered by South Africa and bowled with decent control. His pace was perhaps short on what we saw in the English summer but overall he’s done nothing to hurt his international cause for the future, and on a tour such as this, that’s almost a personal achievement in itself.

Adil Rashid – 8/10

9 matches, 15 wickets at 27.53, ER: 5.18, BBI: 3-42

Rashid was England’s best bowler. Comfortably their leading wicket-taker and the one Buttler could always turn to for reliability. That he’s in the top three wicket-takers among spinners of the tournament considering the limited support he had available is extraordinary.

Mark Wood – 4/10

7 matches, 6 wickets at 58.16, ER: 6.46, BBI: 2-50

Wood wasn’t the enforcer in the middle-overs England had banked on him being pre-tournament. He was expensive throughout the campaign and made little impact with the ball.

Reece Topley – 7/10

3 matches, 8 wickets at 22.87, ER: 5.46, BBI: 4-43

Topley was the pick of England’s seamers before he fractured his finger against South Africa. After he was inexplicably left out against New Zealand before he tore through Bangladesh’s top-order and was decent against Afghanistan.

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