ICC World Cup 2019 | England deserve to be called the best team in the world, asserts Justin Langer
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Justin Langer has reiterated that England have done a superb job in the last few years and deserve to be the best team in the world. The Australian coach has also added that they will be doing everything they can to nullify the opening duo of Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy in the semi-final.
Although the conditions somehow reduced England a fair bit in the league stage, they have a performance to boast about in the last two games - against India and New Zealand. Jason Roy’s return to action has also resulted in England being the favourites for the title once again and before they can reach the final, they have an Australia-sized hole to overcome. What has made the game trickier is the hosts had lost to their Ashes rivals in the league stage, but Justin Langer didn’t let that affect his team by proclaiming that England deserve to be called the best team in the world.
"It's like us bringing back Steve Smith and David Warner and Mitchell Starc. Whenever you take your best players out it changes the confidence in the group and we respect that, we know. That's why I've said all along, I think England is the team to beat at the World Cup. They've done brilliantly for the last few years, they deserve to be the best team in the world. You've still got to beat them, it doesn't matter how you play,” Langer was quoted as saying by Cricinfo.
In the last group game against South Africa, Australia took the game deep into the final overs, but injuries to Usman Khawaja and Marcus Stoinis resulted in an unsettling combination. While they failed to control the game in the opening bowling Powerplay, the former Aussie opener hopes the team can turn around against England by trying to nullify Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy.
"We didn't stick to our game. They were 0 for 70 after the first 10 - we pride ourselves on trying to take wickets early, we pride ourselves on keeping wickets available in the first 10. Bairstow and Roy are a huge part of England's success and we'll be doing everything we can to nullify that."
