New Delhi, Oct 22 Former England captain Nasser Hussain was critical of Jos Buttler's side's decision-making as the defending champions fell to a record 229-run defeat to South Africa in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup league stage match at Wankhede Stadium.
Skipper Buttler decided to field in the sweltering heat after winning the toss in Mumbai. The decision backfired as England crumbled in the 22nd over for 170 in front of Proteas pace attack while chasing a mammoth 400-run target.
Hussain rued England's reliance on statistics instead of reading the conditions of the pitch on the day that led to their defeat on Saturday.
"England keep getting their decisions wrong," Hussain said on Sky Sports. "We got the toss and the balance of the side wrong. The three changes in the squad moved England completely away from how they have been playing for years.
"Woakes had had no rhythm and on a flat pitch you leave him out and bring Stokes in, I agree with that decision. What I don't like is the toss decision and reliance on stats."
"The last time both England and South Africa played, they fell short chasing the target, so they need to be careful about what stats they are looking at," he added.
The ex-captain also noted the adverse effects of fitness concerns on English cricketers, adding to the challenges faced by Buttler in his role.
"I think Jos [Buttler] didn't have a great day either because so many of them were struggling. Willey was going down with cramps, Stokes was struggling, Brook and Topley were getting treatment, Rashid was feeling sick. It was a nightmare, he didn't know who to turn to.
"England need to get the decisions they're making off the field right. The quality of performance was not good enough, but get your decision making right off the field.
"I hear a lot about statistics, and Eoin Morgan used statistics, but there was a lot of gut feeling there too. You need to get your decisions right, don't just go to your default settings."
The defeat saw England drop down to ninth place on the table, whilst South Africa climbed up to third position. The top four teams will qualify for the World Cup semi-finals.
England will next play Sri Lanka on October 26 at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru while South Africa lock horns with Bangladesh at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on October 24.
--IANS
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