Many cricket pundits and former cricketers have said that England don’t stand a chance in the upcoming World Cup 2015. Former England cricketer Graeme Swann has even said that there is “no chance” that England can do well in the 2015 World Cup. There is a reason why so many people are saying the same thing, and that reason is England’s poor form in ODI cricket. England have won only 7 ODI matches out 18 in 2014. In this period, they have lost an away series in Australia and at home to Sri Lanka and India.
However, England’s captain Alastair Cook, who is getting a lot of criticism for England’s poor run in ODIs, has said that he is confident about his team and if they they peak at the right time, no one will want to you play them.
This is a very bold statement for Alastair Cook considering his own hasn’t been all that good and how England have performed in the recent past. But, having said this, Alastair Cook has no other option but to keep the morale of the team high before and during the World Cup. England cricket team have left for Sri Lanka for a seven-match ODI series, and this series will be a very important series for Alastair Cook and his boys who are under a lot of scrutiny for their run. This series promises to be a very competitive series as Sri Lanka would also be keen to have some wins under their belt after the forgettable series against India, where they were whitewashed mercilessly by a young Team India.
Former Australian cricketer Jason Gillespie, who is also the new coach of Yorkshire county, has said that England need to play attacking cricket, otherwise they can’t win the World Cup. Gillespie said that England are still a 250-260 team, and the game has become very fast and batsmen are scoring 264 runs alone in a 50-over match.
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Former England cricketer Michael Vaughan has questioned Cook’s captaincy and he has also criticized England’s defensive approach in ODI cricket. When asked about his captaincy in ODI cricket, Alastair Cook replied by saying, “I think the only time England have been number one in the world in one-day cricket was when I was captain.”
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By The Cricket Lounge
