{"id":296894,"date":"2023-11-08T00:29:46","date_gmt":"2023-11-08T00:29:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/allmysportsnews.com\/?p=296894"},"modified":"2023-11-08T00:29:46","modified_gmt":"2023-11-08T00:29:46","slug":"england-assistant-carl-hopkinson-insists-netherlands-clash-is-no-dead-rubber","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allmysportsnews.com\/%d1%81ricket\/england-assistant-carl-hopkinson-insists-netherlands-clash-is-no-dead-rubber\/","title":{"rendered":"England assistant Carl Hopkinson insists Netherlands clash is no \u2018dead rubber\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

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England\u2019s early exit from the World Cup is already guaranteed but assistant coach Carl Hopkinson insists their bottom-of-the-table clash against the Netherlands is no \u201cdead rubber\u201d.<\/p>\n

As the tournament finally edges towards the business end, the defending champions have long since become an afterthought in the wider context of the competition.<\/p>\n

They have lost six of their seven games and saw their last mathematical chance of a miracle wiped off the table by rivals Australia in Ahmedabad last week.<\/p>\n

The best they can hope for now is avoiding a first ever ODI defeat to the Dutch, the only associate nation competing in India, and keep their prospects of reaching the 2025 Champions Trophy alive.<\/p>\n

They need a top-eight finish to book their spot, meaning there is no leeway for wallowing in their dreadful form when they take the field in Pune on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

The appearance of Hopkinson, a low-key member of the backroom team responsible primarily for fielding, suggested the squad were not keen on issuing their own public call to arms, but he has no qualms about their motivation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think there\u2019s ever a dead rubber when you play for England, to be honest. I think the lads are completely up for it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got two games in which we need to win both to qualify for the Champions Trophy, so I think that\u2019s there for everybody to see. The guys are going to be obviously up for it and I think we\u2019ll be good.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to win and win well to qualify for the Champions Trophy, which is what we need to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

On his unexpected role as carrier of the England message, he added: \u201cI\u2019m not quite sure why I\u2019m the man to explain, (but) I\u2019m an assistant coach with the England team and I\u2019m more than happy to come out and speak about our campaign so far.\u201d<\/p>\n

England have named an unchanged side for the last three games, losing emphatically to Sri Lanka, India and Australia, and could belatedly mix things up.<\/p>\n

Harry Brook is on hand to add ballast to a badly under-performing top six, but could be added in place of all-rounder Liam Livingstone rather than one of the specialist batters.<\/p>\n