England's World Cup Hopes on the Line in Oman Clash

England's World Cup hopes are hanging in the balance after a disappointing start to their campaign. With just one point from two matches, they face a must-win clash against Oman on Thursday. Captain Jos Buttler insists that the team's focus is solely on victory, and they will worry about net run-rate only if they earn the right to do so.

England's opening match against Scotland was washed out, and they suffered a 36-run defeat to Australia in their second game. Scotland's subsequent thrashing of Oman has put them in a strong position, with a significant advantage in net run-rate.

England have another must-win match against Namibia on Saturday, but their fate could be sealed before then. If Scotland and Australia close out the group stage with a narrow defeat for the Scots, England's hopes will be dashed.

Buttler is determined to avoid such an ignominious exit, but he acknowledges the challenges ahead. England need to defeat Oman and Namibia by a combined margin of 117 runs or more to improve their net run-rate ahead of Scotland's.

However, Australia's head coach, Andrew McDonald, has hinted that he may rest key players if they secure their Super Eights berth before the Scotland showdown. Additionally, NRR in the group stage is not carried over into the next round, which means Australia would have no incentive to stage a go-slow to eliminate England.

Buttler insists that England will not be distracted by such permutations. He believes that the team needs to focus on winning the game against Oman and then assess their situation.

Despite their poor start, Buttler remains confident in the team's ability. He admits that they were outplayed by Australia, but he believes that they have only played one-and-a-quarter games and still have plenty of cricket to play.

Buttler is also unfazed by the growing frustration from England's fans. He understands that people care about the team and want them to perform well. However, he emphasizes that the team's focus is on their own performance and that they will make their fans happy if they play to their potential.

Tags: #CricketWorldCup, #EnglandCricket, #JosButtler, #OmanCricket, #NetRunRate