Daily Times

Despite a challenging World Cup campaign, England’s defending champions remain resolute in their commitment to the 50-over format, according to assistant coach Marcus Trescothick.

With four defeats in five matches, England finds themselves in a difficult position, ranking ninth out of ten teams and facing diminishing hopes of reaching the semi-finals as they prepare to take on unbeaten hosts India in Lucknow on Sunday.

Trescothick acknowledged the mounting pressure, saying, “We’re all feeling the heat. But what can you do? We prepared the same, and we’ve done things very similar to what you’d expect. Every practice we go through, we’re coming out the other side thinking we’re in a good place and feeling quite right. It’s just not quite working when we go into the games.”

Critics have questioned England’s approach to the 50-over format after their 2019 World Cup victory, noting that they played only 13 ODI matches in the lead-up to their title defense. Trescothick, however, expressed the team’s unwavering belief in the format, saying, “We haven’t lost faith in what it is. We love playing any form of cricket, any form of the game that we play. We were desperate to come here and try to win back-to-back 50-over competitions. So, we’re still very much focused on all formats.”

He also emphasised the challenges of managing a busy cricket calendar and balancing Test matches, T20s, and ODIs. “Sometimes we get the balance right, and sometimes we don’t,” Trescothick noted.

Looking ahead to their match against India, Trescothick highlighted the significance of the occasion. “Playing against India in a World Cup in their own country is a special part of the game,” he said, expressing the team’s excitement for the upcoming challenge.

While England’s recent loss to Sri Lanka has left their semi-final hopes in jeopardy, Trescothick stressed that their primary focus is on improving their performance. “We’re more focused on getting our performance right, achieving better levels of performance than what we’ve shown in the last few weeks,” he explained, adding that the pursuit of a place in the final four will take care of itself. “Mathematically, it’s still possible, but it’s very tough,” he concluded.