RASH READY TO ROCK CUP

EOIN MORGAN has warned his side of the damage defeat by the West Indies could do to their World Cup ambitions just 100 days before the tournament begins.

England have won nine consecutive series on the spin – an English ODI record – and it is why they are currently ranked the No.1 side in the world.

But Morgan knows only too well that one series hammering can change everything on the cusp of a World Cup – just like it did in 2011.

Morgan was a part of the England side that beat six teams in a row in 2009 and 2010 only to come up against Australia at the start of 2011 and suffer a 6-1 thrashing as their Ashes win took its toll.

Andrew Strauss’ side never recovered and were dumped out of the 2011 World Cup in the quarter-finals by Sri Lanka and with two series to go before the tournament on home soil, Morgan is desperate to avoid a repeat.

“Sure, the World Cup is going to be an exciting time,” said Morgan. “But if you look too far ahead it would be very easy to start losing games, let a couple of series slide and lose momentum.

“We’re very conscious of that. We have 11 one-day games before our opening

World Cup match at The Oval and this is no time to look back at what we’ve achieved or stand still.

“We’re trying to keep moving forward and pick up as much as we can – and at the same time keep winning more games to keep our confidence high.”

The newly-married Morgan arrived in Barbados last week, having watched the Test series against the Windies with interest from afar.

The Irishman gave a knowing smile when Mirror Sport put it to him that there was surprise at how the West Indies managed not just to win the Wisden Trophy, but give England a thrashing (left).

England might be the No.1 ODI side in the world, but they have no given right to win any game and that is the approach Morgan has and continues to instil in his squad.

And he wants them to respect and embrace their position as the most fancied of teams heading into a tournament they have never won before – despite three appearances in the final.

He added: “Being ranked No.1 in the world is nice, but it hasn’t happened overnight or by accident.

“Does it add to the pressure? I think it’s quite cool.

“It might add to the pressure if we were coming into the tournament on the back of hitand-miss results, if we were unsure about our team or squad, but everything is becoming more clear.”

ADIL RASHID has returned from the birth of his second son ready to put a poor Test tour behind him.Rashid has delivered consistently for the one-day team in the past and will be a huge part of England’s World Cup puzzle come June when he and Moeen Ali are set to bamboozle opposition batsmen in the middle overs.No spin pair come even close to their combined 173 wickets since the last World Cup and only Rashid Khan with 118 has taken more than Rashid’s 116 scalps.“The World Cup will be massive,” said Rashid (above). “We’re all looking forward to that.“But my role is the same as it has been for the past three or four years. Nothing changes. It’s to create chances and look to bowl variations.“I’m still a long way off that in Test cricket, becoming that worldbeater.“For me, my strength is coming on and bowling my variations and creating chances.”