NZ vs ENG | Got to move on from World Cup glory, says Chris Silverwood
Newly-appointed England coach Chris Silverwood has admitted that his team cannot afford to dwell on their World Cup glory and will now have to shift their focus to what's ahead of them. Silverwood also stated the T20Is against New Zealand will serve as a golden opportunity for the youngsters.
After years and years of agony, England finally broke their World Cup duck at the Home of Cricket in July this year, lifting their first-ever World Cup title by edging New Zealand thanks to the controversial boundary count rule. However, as admitted by several players, the World Cup glory emotionally took a toll on the players as reflected in their Tests against Ireland and Australia, with several of them exhausted - both physically and mentally.
Chris Silverwood, England's chosen successor for Trevor Bayliss, feels that it is important for his side to put behind the World Cup glory and focus what's ahead of them.
"I'm sure there will be a few conversations (about the World Cup win) but we are here to focus on the series in front of us," Silverwood was quoted as saying by Times of India.
"We have moved on now. Obviously, it was a fantastic game of cricket to be involved in at any level really, it was a real delight of an experience but we have got to move on. Obviously there is a different series in front of us now and we have got to concentrate on that," he added.
After the long and hard cricketing summer, the team management decided to rest the likes of Ben Stokes, Joe Root and Jos Buttler for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand, which will commence next month.
Several youngsters who impressed in the T20 blast, including the likes of Tom Banton, Saqib Mahmood and Matt Parkinson, have been picked in the series and despite the absence of big names, Silverwood feels that this would be a golden opportunity for the youngsters to put their hand up and make a name for themselves, and said that he trusts skipper Eoin Morgan to do the job for the team.
"They are not here, obviously. But it gives the opportunity to other young talent coming through, gives us an opportunity to see them and them an opportunity to express themselves as well. One or two of them are having a break but it will be business as usual from a one-day point of view and with the T20s, Eoin Morgan has got a really strong hold on what he wants to do with the team and it is my job to back him up and put those things in place."
England will play the first of five T20Is against New Zealand on November 1 at Christchurch.