Eoin Morgan-led England launch World Cup bid against South Africa

England will put four years of planning to the test when they face South Africa in the opening match of the 2019 World Cup at the Oval on Thursday.

So embarrassing was England’s first-round exit at the 2015edition in Australia and New Zealand it prompted a major rethink of theirattitude to the white-ball game.

   

The transformation has been remarkable, with Eoin Morgan’smen climbing to the top of the one-day international rankings and twice settinga new record for the highest one-day international total, which now stands at481 for six.

Batting has been the basis of England’s ODI rejuvenation,with Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Morgan and the dynamic Jos Buttleramong a top seven who can all change the course of an innings in the blink ofan eye.

“It’s an exciting feeling being in this team as you haveworld-class players all around you and the opposition might get 370, butthere’s a belief in the dressing room we can chase it down,” said Englandleg-spinner Adil Rashid.

“There is no hesitation or someone going ‘I don’t know aboutthis’. We all have that belief and confidence we can do it,” added Rashid,whose ability to take wickets at key stages has also been an important part ofEngland’s white-ball revival.

“We will hopefully stick to what we’ve been doing the pastfour years and hopefully the World Cup will work out well for us.”

South Africa have suffered plenty of World Cup heartache buthaving been losing semi-finalists four years there is a sense the Proteas aregoing under the radar this time around.

South Africa coach Ottis Gibson is convinced the pressure isall on the tournament hosts and cited comments by England quicks Stuart Broadand James Anderson — both of whom no longer play ODI cricket — as an example.

“I heard somewhere that my two very good friends Broad andAnderson have said that England will have to do something really bad not to winthis World Cup,” recalled Gibson, who knows the pair well from his time asEngland bowling coach.

“As far as they are concerned England have won it already.”

Former West Indies fast bowler Gibson added: “To play thehosts, the number one team, is the best way to start, because it gives us areal sense of where we are and what we need to do going forward.

“But you don’t have to be number one to win the tournamentand sometimes you can win the tournament and you don’t even go to number one.”

South Africa, captained by Faf du Plessis, are withoutretired star batsman AB de Villiers but their top order includes the talented Quintonde Kock.

They will be without Dale Steyn on Thursday as theoutstanding fast bowler nurses a shoulder injury but South Africa have becomeused to his absence in recent times.Of arguably greater importance for Thursday’smatch is that Kagiso Rabada, arguably the leading paceman in world crickettoday, has been passed fit following a back injury.

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