Its time to perform or get crushed: Botham

London, Apr 12 (UNI) Issuing a warning bell to Michael Vaughan's men after their limping four-wicket victory against Bangladesh yesterday, former England captain Ian Botham said its high time for them to perform otherwise start preparing to catch the next flight back home.

''There is a lack of confidence in the whole camp at the moment, There are two or three players playing well and there are a few that are scratching around and they are looking ordinary at the moment,'' Botham told the Sky Sports.

''It has to be the confidence thing and they need to sort it out early because if they go on performing like startled rabbits, against South Africa, they will get crushed,'' he added.

Botham's statement came a day after England's hard toil victory against the Tigers in their crucial Super Eight match on Wednesday, thus keeping their hopes alive for a semi-final berth.

''England today, we seem to take one step forward and three steps back in one-day cricket. I think we were a better side two years ago, or certainly a year ago, than we are now, and I don't understand why because there are better players in that side now,'' said the 51-year-old former all-rounder.

Botham also observed that England capitalised very little of a pitch that suited them rather than Bangladesh.

''I would have thought this was the perfect wicket for them to play Bangladesh. It was a good cricket wicket. It swung a bit early on, there was very little seam movement and what you put in as a quick bowler,'' he said England will now face South Africa on the same square on Tuesday in a match that is critical to both the team's chances of making it to the semi-finals.

UNI