What now for England and Jos Buttler after Champions Trophy exit?
An eight-run defeat to Afghanistan continued a worrying downward trend in white-ball cricket.
England were sent packing from the Champions Trophy after a dramatic late defeat at the hands of Afghanistan.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the reasons for their early exit and asks what comes next.
How disappointing is England’s group stage departure?
Will heads roll?
Head coach Matthew Mott carried the can for the last two misfires, sacked in the summer to make way for Test guru Brendon McCullum. England could easily have axed Jos Buttler too but he was given the chance to reboot his faltering reign. He is now the man under most pressure. Too often his leadership and tactical nous has fallen short of his undoubted talent with bat in hand. He looks increasingly hollowed out by his spell at the helm and both he and the team might benefit from new ideas.
Are there any obvious successors?
Do England need a rebuild?
Do the issues run deeper than the talent pool?
Is the ‘Bazball’ message falling flat?
The ultra-aggressive approached preached by McCullum and Stokes brought a sharp upturn in fortunes in the Test arena, unlocking some remarkable match-winning performances by removing the fear factor. But there is a growing feeling that there may be too much freedom to get the best out of all comers. A few hard conversations and greater emphasis on the tactical and technical elements may be required. Test cricket will take centre stage for the next year, with a huge India series followed by an Ashes tour, but England cannot afford to let things drift if they are to stay in the hunt for silverware.
