ICC World Cup 2019 | Not having the favourites tag will suit England, states Heather Knight
Heather Knight has stated that the recent losses have placed England in a tight spot but it has taken away their tag of favourites and the constant pressure that comes along with it. She went on to label Ben Stokes as inspirational before stating that England must find a way to adapt and qualify.
Not a single ODI series lost for almost two and a half years, no consecutive ODI defeats in almost four years and the number one ranked side in the world, England were the clear favourites before the advent of the World Cup. However, they last reached a semi-final in the tournament 27 years ago and have a history of throwing it away after being placed in good positions early on.
The story this time around has been no different. After an outstanding start had them racing towards qualifying for the semi finals, losses against Sri Lanka and Australia have placed huge doubts over their progress in the tournament. However, the England Women’s Cricket Team captain has placed her focus on the silver lining instead in her column for the ICC website.
“England are in a difficult position but in some ways I think not having the favourites tag will suit them. Of course it was disappointing to see them lose to Australia because that was an opportunity to get their Cricket World Cup campaign back on track. That means England have a huge game coming up against India, but where they started this tournament with the pressure of being favourites, that is not the case anymore,” she wrote.
The team is yet to play India and New Zealand and while a solitary victory may be enough to qualify, wins in both matches will definitely seal a semi-final berth for them. Such a tricky situation has only risen due to batting collapses in consecutive failed run chases. However, Ben Stokes was exceptional in both the games, scoring 82 and 89 against the Sri Lanka and Australia respectively.
“One person who has really impressed me has been Ben Stokes and he batted brilliantly against Australia. He’s been an inspirational figure, showing real character on tough wickets and when wickets have been falling at the other end. He struggled a bit from cramp at Lord’s but that’s nothing new. He trains so hard that the coaches have to try to convince him to take it easy. I think he’ll be fine for India though and that will be a big plus,” Knight stated praising the all-rounder.
As far as talent and potential is concerned, there is no doubt that this England team has possibly been the country’s best bet to lift the trophy in at least the past two decades. Time and again they have proven their mettle and a poor run of form isn’t a reflection of their capability.
“The wickets haven’t really suited England in an ideal world, but the best teams find a way to win. I think England have evolved though. They did have periods where they went too hard but they have shown in the last year or so that they can rein it in and punch out a score, or be sensible in a chase. That perhaps hasn’t been the case in the past few games, but they are capable. The situation England are in is not ideal, but they have to find a way to adapt and to win. That is tournament cricket, you just have to find a way to get over the line,” Knight signed off.
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