England captain Eoin Morgan believes the tournament hosts have done everything they possibly could to get themselves ready for a tilt at the World Cup.
One-day cricket has long been the poor relation of the international game in England in terms of status.
But a humiliating first round exit at the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand – with Morgan made captain only shortly before the tournament in place of axed Test skipper Alastair Cook – prompted a major rethink.
Now England, bidding to lift the men’s trophy for the first time, head into a tournament starting on May 30 as the world’s number one ranked side in ODI cricket.
“Absolutely no regrets, we’re positioned in the best possible place at the moment,” Morgan told reporters at the launch of England’s World Cup kit in London on Tuesday – just hours after they unveiled their 15-man squad for the 50-over showpiece event.
Since the 2015 World Cup England have twice set a new record for the highest total in an ODI innings – 444 for three against Pakistan at Trent Bridge in 2016 and 481 for six against reigning world champions Australia, at the same venue, last year.
“Our exceptional days are better than we could have imagined – the world records etc – I could never have seen those at the start of 2015,” said middle-order batsman Morgan.
“That expectation has shifted with level of performance.”
And the former Ireland international believes England can cope with the increased pressure to deliver a title-winning run.
