Just over a month ago, 15 English cricketers embarked on a golf tour of India, known to some as the Cricket World Cup 2023.
They will return having put together one of the poorest World Cup defences in any sport, although they did finish on a high by smashing Pakistan in Kolkata.
i‘s Chris Stocks has attended every England game of this World Cup and has given every player a rating out of 10 – alongside their perhaps more appropriate golf rating.
So which player deserves the green jacket, who’s in the bunker and who should be off to the seniors tour?
England Cricket World Cup 2023 ratings
Jonny Bairstow 3/10
(215 runs @23.88)
Got his highest score in the meaningless, dead-rubber final match. Failed in every game that mattered.
Alternative golf rating: Losing his tour card.
Dawid Malan 7/10
(404 runs @44.88)
England’s leading runscorer by a country mile, but didn’t produce in pressure games against South Africa, India and Sri Lanka.
Alternative golf rating: Needs to join the seniors tour.
Joe Root 4/10
(276 runs @30.66)
Started well but tailed off dramatically before hitting 60 in the final game. Three half-centuries yet had a poor World Cup overall.
Alternative golf rating: In the bunker.
Ben Stokes 7/10
(304 runs @50.66)
Would England’s tournament have been different had he been fit for the first three games? Batting form came too late and ultimately his ODI comeback did not work out.
Alternative golf rating: Turned it around on the back nine.
Harry Brook 5/10
(169 runs @28.16)
Only one innings of substance – 66 against Afghanistan, when nobody else stepped up. May have done better had he not been dropped for three games.
Alternative golf rating: Not helped by his caddy.
Jos Buttler 1/10
(138 runs @15.33)
Nobody can call him a useless tosser – he’s won seven in a row. But he’s had a truly terrible tournament with the bat and as captain, especially his decisions after winning the toss.
Alternative golf rating: Got the yips and never recovered.
Liam Livingstone 1/10
(60 runs @10, 3 wickets @52.66)
Failed to live up to pre-tournament expectations with bat and ball in the six matches he played. ODI career in the balance.
Alternative golf rating: Should have just gone for a nice walk.
Moeen Ali 3/10
(5 wickets @47.20, 95 runs @15.83)
Had to wait until the penultimate game against the Dutch to get a wicket. Awful with the bat, like so many others.
Alternative golf rating: Another for the seniors tour.
Chris Woakes 5/10
(9 wickets @33.11, 131 runs @18.71)
Overcame a terrible start to the tournament to produce some good performances with the ball, but this should be the end for him in ODIs.
Alternative golf rating: Turned it around on the back nine.
David Willey 7/10
(11 wickets @21.63, 78 runs @19.50)
England’s best bowler after Reece Topley did well – but announcing retirement midway through the tournament wasn’t great, however hard done by he was not to get a central contract.
Alternative golf rating: Losing his tour card didn’t put him off his game.
Sam Curran 1/10
(2 wickets @70, 35 runs @11.66)
Another whose ODI career looks uncertain after a miserable tournament where he underwhelmed in three games.
Alternative golf rating: Needs to go back to qualifying school.
Adil Rashid 8/10
(15 wickets @27.53)
The leg-spinner was as reliable as ever. Started the World Cup slowly but none of this was his fault.
Alternative golf rating: Deserves the green jacket.
Gus Atkinson 5/10
(4 wickets @34.50)
Only played three games and showed enough promise to suggest he can be a mainstay of this team in the future.
Alternative golf rating: Deserves to stay on the tour.
Mark Wood 3/10
(6 wickets @58.16)
The fast bowler had a tournament to forget. Made even worse by the fact so much was expected of him out here.
Alternative golf rating: In the bunker.
Reece Topley 8/10
(8 wickets @22.87)
England’s best bowler before fractured finger in the fourth match against South Africa ended his World Cup.
Alternative golf rating: Get the man a drink at the 19th hole.
