EOIN’S BOYS HAVE FRIGHT STUFF
SAM BILLINGS claims the rest of the world is petrified of England’s one-day team.
The host country go into next month’s Champions Trophy as favourites and the Kent keeper-batsman, who has just returned from Indian Premier League duty with Delhi Daredevils, claims Eoin Morgan’s side were the talk of dressing rooms all over India.
He said: “The best thing about the IPL is you share a dressing room with these guys.
“Previously, in this country, we haven’t made one-day cricket a priority as such, but people are petrified of our side now and you only find that out by talking to them.
“It’s very interesting to hear what other internationals think of our side.
“It has kind of gone full circle. People now think we have a seriously good squad.
“Just generally, the buzz around the reputation of the England team in white-ball cricket... it’s amazing to think about that transition from two years ago.”
That was when Morgan’s side were embarrassingly dumped out of the 2015 World Cup at the group stage, managing to beat only Afghanistan and Scotland.
And they start their bid for their first international 50-over tournament win with two warm-up games against Ireland, the first at the Brightside Ground in Bristol today.
Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes are still on IPL duty but England are expected to field David Willey, Mark Wood, Jake Ball and Liam Plunkett, who are all returning from injury.