Dawson says England are ‘gutted’ after twin ODI collapses

England’s tri-series hopes on the brink

Liam Dawson says England’s squad are “gutted” after successive defeats to Sri Lanka and Pakistan left their chances of reaching the ODI tri-series final hanging by a thread.

“That changing room is gutted, we’re desperate to win,” Dawson said. England now need Pakistan to beat Sri Lanka on Tuesday and then must defeat Sri Lanka heavily on Thursday to reach the final.

The defeats followed matches in which England had appeared well placed to win. They conceded 430 against Sri Lanka after scoring 429, then let Pakistan recover from 154 for nine while chasing 242 in Lahore. Shadab Khan and No 11 Haris Rauf put on an unbeaten 89, a record 10th-wicket partnership in a successful chase.

Dawson backs Rashid despite stepping into his role

Dawson said England could use the painful losses as preparation for the World Cup in southern Africa next year, pointing to the positions the side had reached before letting both games slip away. “If in a year’s time we do get to those situations again and bank on our previous experiences then we’ll look back at this tri-series as a huge positive,” he said.

The 36-year-old has featured in place of Adil Rashid in England’s last two matches. Rashid, a long-standing presence in England’s white-ball teams, was available after recovering from injury but was left out as the team opted for Dawson’s left-arm spin in conditions considered better suited to his style. Dawson rejected the idea that the two were directly competing for the same role.

“I don’t think I can be compared to Adil, he’s a phenomenal bowler. You don’t play 165 ODIs and become a bad bowler.”

Dawson added that Rashid “has been exceptional for England” and said he believed the leg-spinner would continue to be so. England’s bowling unit, without an express fast bowler or mystery spinner, has struggled to close out games in the tournament.

‘A really special thing’ to represent England

After spending much of his career on the fringes, Dawson has become a regular in the T20 side under Harry Brook and has taken on a larger role in the ODI set-up. He said he had not expected to play for England again until his recent return, and described his appearances over the past year as especially meaningful.

Dawson, who retired from first-class cricket earlier this year, also ruled out reversing that decision if approached by new Test head coach Stephen Fleming: “No, those days are gone.”