'England playing way short of their best': Buttler

'Incredibly disappointing and frustrating. We're not just losing, we're losing by a long way and playing a long way short of our best.'

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England’s batters failed miserably yet again and the defending champions edged nearer to the exit at the World Cup on Thursday.

However, Jos Buttler insisted he still retains confidence in himself as the team's captain while terming his side's performance in the tournament so far as "shocking”.

Sri Lanka bowled out the title holders for 156 and then handed them an eight-wicket hammering in Bengaluru.

In their previous match the Three Lions were bundled out for 170 as South Africa emerged winners by 229 runs.

"I think you're always questioning as captain. How you can get the best out of players, how you can get the team moving in the right direction. I certainly have a lot of confidence and belief in myself as a leader and as a player," declared Buttler at the post-match press conference.

"But if you're asking if I should still be captaining the team that's a question for the guys above me," he added. 

Buttler did not deny the fact that his side failed to deliver on the biggest stage and it came as a shock for everyone in the team.

"We're a really good team. So, to be sitting here now with the three weeks that I've been is a shock. It's a shock to everyone.

"I'll walk back to the dressing room after this and look at the players and think how we found ourselves in this position."

But he did not shy away from the fact that England were vastly under par during the whole tournament, not just in terms of defeats but also because of their margins.

"Incredibly disappointing and frustrating. We're not just losing, we're losing by a long way and playing a long way short of our best," he said.

"You get on the plane to come to India and we're in a really good position as a team. But it has not just worked at all."

England have four more matches left in the tournament with strong teams like India, Australia and Pakistan lining up ahead.

While admitting the tough nature of the matches in front of them, the Somerset man said the team's focus was on to give a good account of themselves.

"There's a hell of a lot of pride. There's a lot of guys who are disappointed with the way they've played. I was speaking more for myself. You feel that as much as the captain and individually.

"It looks like it needs a few miracles that we'd have to win every game and things go our way to progress further in this tournament. But for the games that we have left, we want to play the cricket we know we can play."

• World Cup 2023