LONDON: England’s 3-0 defeat in their Twenty20 series in Bangladesh was a real “eye-opener” for the world champions, white-ball coach Matthew Mott said. Bangladesh secured a 16-run victory in Mirpur on Tuesday to complete the whitewash and Mott said England would have to learn from it. “We really wanted to finish well here. I think it’s been a fantastic tour in terms of what we’ve been up against, a very strong home team,” Mott said. “That one hurts. To finish the way we did will leave a bit of a sour taste in our mouths. It should act as a real eye-opener on where we need to improve.”
England were short on batters for the series after Tom Abell and Will Jacks were forced to withdraw due to injuries, and Mott defended the decision to not call up replacements. “There was a realisation that we were probably better off investing in some batters here and putting them under pressure in these games. You only learn from your mistakes,” Mott added. “The opportunities they were given here will give them time to reflect and when we get into pressure situations in World Cups, I am confident that it will have been the right decision.”
However, former England captain Nasser Hussain suggested they were looking too far ahead to the 50-overs Cricket World Cup, which will take place in India in October and November. “I see what they’re trying to do, but the short-term view and the long-term view, you’ve always got to balance that as a selector …,” Hussain told Sky Sports. “I just think not having the extra batter sends the wrong message … Pay attention to this game in front of you, and if you do that then the future will look after itself.”