Eoin Morgan has revealed England’s humiliating defeat by New Zealand in their last World Cup clash left him “as close to rock-bottom as I’ve been”.
But the England captain said it had also been behind hisside’s white-ball revival that now sees them on the verge of securing a place inthe semi-finals of the World Cup.
The winners of Wednesday’s match between England and NewZealand at Chester-le-Street are guaranteed a place in the last four, althoughan England defeat would leave them facing the prospect of elimination werePakistan to beat Bangladesh on Friday.
A World Cup semi-final seemed a long way off when Englandwere skittled out for just 123 by New Zealand in a group match at Wellingtonfour years ago.
The Black Caps overhauled that woeful total in a mere 12.2overs, winning with a colossal 226 balls to spare en route to an eventualdefeat by co-hosts Australia in the final.
But the way New Zealand played in that 2015 tournament madea lasting impression on Morgan, then as now England’s skipper in 50-overcricket. “It was as close to rock-bottom as I’ve been,” Morgan saidat Chester-le-Street on Tuesday.
“Certainly as a captain and as a player, being beatenoff the park like that was humiliating.
“New Zealand proved a point that you can actually bereally good humans and grow the game and play cricket in your own way and winat the same time, which is incredibly eye-opening for a lot of countries aroundthe world.
“I thought that rubbed off on everybody in the WorldCup.” England subsequently climbed to the top of theone-day international rankings on the back of an attacking brand of cricket.