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England’s miserable white-ball winter reached its lowest ebb as they were eliminated from the Champions Trophy following a nerve-shredding defeat to Afghanistan which places Jos Buttler’s captaincy in jeopardy.
After England lost their Group B opener to Australia, Buttler accepted the stakes were high in Lahore for the first of two must-win ties but Afghanistan piled on the pressure with a total of 325 for seven.
Joe Root anchored the chase with a magnificent 120 off 111 deliveries but he fell with 39 needed off the last 25 balls and the lower-order could not get England over the line, all out for 317 to lose by eight runs.
A ninth defeat in 10 limited-overs matches since Brendon McCullum expanded his head coaching role last month leaves Buttler’s position vulnerable after yet another disappointing campaign at a major event.
In the last 18 months, England have surrendered both World Cups and are on a dire run of form, especially in ODIs, with Buttler’s record now reading 22 defeats in 34 ODIs in permanent charge ahead of Saturday’s dead rubber against South Africa in Karachi.
Ibrahim Zadran signposted a sixth successive ODI defeat for Buttler’s side, thumping 177 off 146 balls after Jofra Archer’s three-wicket burst had left Afghanistan reeling on 37 for three.
He put on 103 and 72 with Hashmatullah Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai respectively before a barn-burning 111 off just 55 balls alongside Mohammad Nabi as Afghanistan added 113 in the last 10 overs.
Mark Wood’s left knee injury complicated matters, he bowled four overs up top and four more after treatment, but being unable to get through his full quota left England exposed at the back end.
Exactly 500 days after Afghanistan’s shock 2023 World Cup win over England, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who made 80 off 57 balls in Delhi, made six here after being tempted by Archer into a drive only to drag on to his stumps via his pads.
It was Archer’s 50th ODI wicket and he had his 51st in the same over when Sediqullah Atal was beaten for pace and pinned lbw while Rahmat Shah also perished in the powerplay, halfheartedly pulling to Adil Rashid.
Wood’s injury was a harbinger, even if it was not immediately apparent as Zadran, who had earlier ramped the pace bowler for the first of his six sixes, and captain Hashmatullah Shahidi showed extreme caution.
They gradually came out of their shells but after Shahidi was bowled for 40 by Rashid, Omarzai upped the ante, clattering three sixes in his 31-ball 41, in a stand of 72 with Zadran, who became Afghanistan’s first centurion at the Champions Trophy with a tip-and-run for a single.
He was far from finished and after Wood went off for the final time, forcing Buttler into a hasty reshuffle of his bowlers, Zadran thumped Archer for six then three successive square-driven fours in his penultimate over that yielded 20.
Root leaked 23 from the 47th over as Zadran and Mohammad Nabi, who hit 40 off 24, made hay and while both holed out in the final over, where Livingstone conceded just two, the damage was done.
England’s reply began inauspiciously as Phil Salt missed an airy swing to a bail-trimmer from Omarzai and makeshift number three Jamie Smith rashly charged at Nabi’s first ball, slicing to backward point.
Fresh from his 165 against Australia, an all-time tournament record score that lasted four days before being overtaken by Zadran, Ben Duckett was dropped on 30 and then out lbw for 38 after being beaten on the inside edge by Rashid Khan, with Afghanistan vindicated on review.
Harry Brook appeared a man on a mission in getting to 25 but then chipped a return catch to Nabi, leaving fellow Yorkshireman Root, ticking over serenely, and Buttler with work to do.
While Root confidently dealt with wrist-spinners Rashid and Noor Ahmad off the back foot and used the reverse sweep well to Nabi to reach a run-a-ball 50, Buttler made a scratchy start.
After being given the benefit of the doubt on a marginal leg-before call off Nabi, it seemed a sliding doors moment for Buttler, who belted the off-spinner for a couple of sixes with the dew now in play.
It proved to be a false dawn as Buttler fell into Omarzai’s short-ball trap and Livingstone injudiciously heaved but edged behind to give Gulbadin Naib a wicket in his first over.
Root brought up a 98-ball ton – his first ODI century since the 2019 World Cup, a run of 37 innings – but he was surprised by the extra bounce of Omarzai and gloved behind.
England got the equation down to 16 required off the last 12 balls but Fazalhaq Farooqi conceded just three off the penultimate over, chipping in with the wicket of Archer.
While Wood was able to come out to bat, Rashid was last man out, with nine needed off two balls, when he holed out to give Omarzai his five-for and send Afghanistan into raptures.
