Brendon McCullum is backing England to recover from an underwhelming start to their World Cup defense and says they still have time to show their quality despite the two defeats they suffered in their first three games.
“You just have to stay true to the method and style that has brought you so much success and not let the odd bad day at the office shake you,” McCullum said told the mirror. “Of course the boys would have liked to be 3 and 0, but that’s not how sport works and sometimes you have to overcome challenges and then show how good you are. One thing is certain: there are good reasons why England recently won two World Cups.”
England were beaten by Afghanistan on Sunday in the first real upset of the tournament, although South Africa, their next opponents, have since suffered a similar humiliation against the Netherlands. “It’s a World Cup so there will be the odd surprise and that’s what you want in a tournament like this,” said McCullum, England’s Test head coach. “Look at what happened to South Africa. This was a strong win for the Dutch and there will be more unexpected results before the tournament is over.”
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McCullum is currently on business in Mumbai, where England play on Saturday, and is staying at the same hotel as the team, where he discussed the situation with his Whites counterpart Matthew Mott. “It was nice to see the boys out here and have a quick chat with Motty,” he said. “They’re doing a great job and have been for a long time, and I’m just looking forward to seeing them show their quality over the next few weeks.”
“Playing cricket in India against the nine other top nations in a World Cup will never be a walk in the park, but that’s why the boys play the game.” That’s what excites them and I’m sure we have the best of them “We’ll see them soon.”
