Two days later and England’s thumping defeat against Sri Lanka in the World Cup quarter final doesn’t feel any better.
Defeat by ten wickets with 63 balls still remaining is about as comprehensive as it gets.
Whilst England’s batsmen looked like they were batting on treacle, Dilshan and Tharanga never looked in any trouble as they cruised to victory.
The recriminations are in full swing. Whispers about Strauss’ future as ODI captain and the wholesale replacement of others abound.
The painful truth is that England simply weren’t good enough. They blundered through the group stages and failed to put in even one commanding performance.
But whilst the likes of Willis, Botham and Boycott will no doubt baulk at the idea, England never had a chance of success at this World Cup because of the ridiculous poisoned chalice of a schedule they were handed this winter.
Sure, England lacked match-winners and key players like Anderson underperformed, but these guys were dead on their feet.
Whoever agreed to a schedule that saw some players spend just three days at home between arriving back from Australia and embarking to the holding camp in Dubai for the World Cup needs to be summarily sacked.
Lest it not be forgotten, England won an Ashes series down under for the first time in 24 years this winter. The successful campaign was meticulously planned and ruthlessly executed.
But not unsurprisingly, these efforts had a physical, mental and emotional strain on the players.
Fatigue leads to injuries and England’s one day squad doesn’t have the strength in depth to cope with the absence of the likes of Broad, Pietersen and Shahzad.
Of those that remained, Anderson was a virtual imposter such was the emptiness of his tank and the likes of Bell, Prior and Swann all fell significantly from the peaks they reached during the Ashes series.
Perhaps with hindsight, England’s first choice players should have flown home for a much needed break immediately after the Ashes series finished in Sydney.
Then a second-string ODI squad could have battled for the final World Cup squad places in the utterly pointless seven match series with Australia.
But contracts between the cricket boards of Australia and England doubtless prevented that.
The schedule is not an excuse for England’s failure, but it is a reason. England aren’t good enough at ODI cricket either – especially in a World Cup in sub-continental conditions, which negated their main strengths further.
But before casting stones at Strauss, Flower and co, do remember that the main prize this winter – the urn – has been secured and whilst yet another World Cup campaign has ended in disappointment, it was always going to be a bridge too far.
Where next?
Check out our Reverse Sweep XIs
Read all our 2011 World Cup posts here
An XI of unlikely World Cup heroes and a not so heroic 12th man
If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep
Comments