England's dismal Champions Trophy ends with another heavy defeat

Following England's disappointing Champions Trophy campaign, outgoing captain Jos Buttler stated that the team must rebuild and regain confidence in the 50-over format. He added, however, that the team possesses enough talent to turn things around and compete at the highest level.

In Saturday's match in Karachi, England lost to South Africa by 7 wickets, having chosen to bat first but ultimately being bowled out for 179, the lowest innings total of the tournament so far. This defeat also meant that England failed to qualify for the semi-finals early, ending their hopes for the title.

Buttler announced his resignation on Friday and had hoped to end his tenure on a high note. However, his team performed poorly in both batting and bowling. Buttler said: "It was a desperately disappointing game. We were way below par with where we want to be, and that's been really disappointing. We have failed to make significant, match-defining contributions with the bat, and that has been an issue for a while now."

This was England's seventh consecutive defeat in the 50-over format. But Buttler believes they can rebuild the team before the 2027 Cricket World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. He said: "As a group, we have obviously fallen short of where we wanted to be, and that dents some confidence. Now is the time for everyone to go away, get a bit of space, and work hard for their next bit of cricket."

"There is a huge opportunity from now for everyone in that dressing room, and outside that dressing room, to stand up and say they want to be involved in rebuilding England's white-ball game. There is no doubt that the talent is there. We have all the ingredients to build a really good team. I am sure (coach) Brendon (McCullum) and the hierarchy will be formulating some plans. It is also up to individuals to stand up and show they want to be part of the future and get the team back to where it belongs."

South Africa's victory secured their top spot in the group, ahead of Australia. New Zealand and India are the two teams that qualified for the semi-finals from the other group, but they will face each other in the final group match tonight. The winner will play Australia in the semi-finals, while the loser will play South Africa. If the match is tied or there is no result, New Zealand will top the group on net run rate and play Australia in the semi-finals.