England's one-day flops reach a new low

A 7-0 whitewash looms for England, and the torment may still continue for a short while longer if they carry forward their form to the Champions Trophy. The saving grace? They could be home within a week if they lose their group games, writes Vic Marks in the Observer. The turnover in personnel since that day at The Oval is really hurting England.

We have been reminded that 50-over cricket requires as many skills that are relevant to Test cricket as to Twenty20. There is a need to build an innings and to survive against attacking bowlers like Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson. We are pining for Jonathan Trott and – this is a fine indication of how reputations can blossom when a player is out of the team – Ian Bell. Kevin Pietersen would be handy as well.

When England should ideally be resting, they're flying to South Africa to take on Sri Lanka in within 72 hours, with barely enough time to acclimatise. The ECB should take some blame for this brutal fixture congestion because have so often put a love of money ahead of the requirements of the players, writes Simon Wilde in the Sunday Times.

Further humiliation may follow over the next few months in South Africa. England had been hoping Kevin Pietersen would be fit to rejoin them for the full tour of South Africa after Achilles tendon surgery but there are fears he may struggle to make the start on November 1. The medical staff overseeing Pietersen’s rehab insist he is on course to leave with the rest of the party.

In the Independent, Stephen Brenkley writes that England are responsible for their own downfall because they keep messing around with their batting order.

There are 13 one-day internationals in England next summer. It is understood that queues will not be forming around the block to attend, though it might get interesting if England lose the first 12.