England’s best chance of winning World Cup – Hughes

Eoin Morgan’s side are currently number one in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings and have just completed their ninth successive multi-game bilateral series win, with a 3-1 victory over Sri Lanka.

They will go into next year’s Cricket World Cup as one of the favourites, given their form over the last two years, added to the fact they’ll have home advantage.

Commentator and analyst, Hughes, thinks the format of the tournament will help England avoid another early knock-out exit.

“In the past England have shown a fallibility in knockout group matches, but that will not be so severely tested in the 2019 World Cup,” he wrote for the BBC.

“They play each of the other nine teams once and the best four sides progress to the semis. They must be a near certainty to make one of those four spots.

“Then it will be down to performing on the day. There is more chance of them doing that now given their consistency, experience and stability.”

England have an embarrassment of riches to choose from in ODI cricket, with the likes of Alex Hales currently finding himself out of their first-choice XI.

With one of the strongest squads in the international game, Hughes thinks it is England’s best chance of lifting the trophy for the first time.

“Coaches Trevor Bayliss and Paul Farbrace worked out long ago that World Cup-winning teams average at least 60 ODI appearances per player. They have a squad with that experience now, with a range of fantastic skills and immense confidence, and they are astutely led.

“They just need to continue working hard, pushing each other and believing in themselves.

“If they don't win a World Cup at home with this group of players, it is hard to see how they ever will.”