MORGAN FRUSTRATED AS TROPHY DREAM DIES
NO COMPLACENCY, INSISTS ENGLAND SKIPPER AFTER PAKISTAN CRUISE TO SEMI VICTORY
Cricket Eoin Morgan ruled out any element of complacency and insisted that England simply failed to adapt to the demands of a used Cardiff pitch as they crashed out of the Champions Trophy against Pakistan.
Morgan’s men reached 128-2 but faltered alarmingly to be bowled out for 211 yesterday as Hasan Ali (3-35) exemplified an outstanding performance from the visitors’ attack on a dry surface which suited them.
Openers Azhar Ali (76) and Fakhar Zaman (57) then helped knock off the inadequate total with almost 13 overs and eight wickets to spare as England bowed out of their own tournament at the semi-final stage.
It was an outcome which confounded almost all predictions after England had breezed through the group stage – while Pakistan began their campaign with a landslide defeat against India and sneaked into the last four only when they beat Sri Lanka by three wickets at the same venue on Monday.
Morgan believes that experience, on the same strip prepared for the semi-final, played its part – and spelled out that England did not take unpredictable Pakistan lightly.
“We certainly weren’t over-confident,” he said. “We played against some really good sides recently, and we’ve managed to beat them. (But) certainly, that hasn’t gone to our heads at all.”
Instead, it was a case of coming unstuck in conditions which made setting a defendable total no easy task – despite England’s handy start after being put in, with Jonny Bairstow hitting 43 after replacing Jason Roy as opener.
“We left ourselves short, adapting to conditions,” said Morgan. “It’s a big frustration, because we’ve played some great cricket in this tournament – and we weren’t anywhere close to it.
“(But) fair credit to Pakistan. They played brilliantly.”
Pakistan were expert with the ball, and fielded increasingly well too after dropping three early catches.
“Knowing that we were going to play on a used wicket potentially brought Pakistan’s game closer to their home,” added Morgan.
“So it was a big challenge, and one that was too far for us. They adjusted to conditions extremely well, and the wicket was obviously slow and low.
“Every partnership we had started behind the rate, which put us under the pump a little bit, and none of our batsmen seemed to get away.”
England ground to a near standstill as their last eight wickets fell for 83, and Ben Stokes found himself batting entirely out of character without hitting a single boundary from his 64 balls.
“I felt like we were trying to take a positive option against them,” said Morgan.
“But obviously, given the conditions, it didn’t allow us to do that ... it was quite tough. I don’t think there was any home advantage.
“Coming from Edgbaston, it was obviously a big jump (down) in pace and bounce and too much of an ask for us to adjust to really.”
Pakistan turned the run chase into a formality.
Asked how that came about, Morgan said: “The explanation is they played two days ago on it.”
Morgan confirmed that, despite their setback, England’s long-term ambition to win the 2019 World Cup remains on track: “We’ve stayed true to what we believe in and what’s worked for us the last couple of years, and I think that’s the continued formula for the future.
“It will have to evolve in whatever manner the game does over the next two years in the lead-in to the World Cup, but certainly we’re moving in the right direction.”
Morgan’s opposite number, Sarfraz Ahmed, hailed Pakistan’s near-perfect performance, saying: “We played very well. That’s why we won.”
They will meet India or Bangladesh, who meet today, in Sunday’s Oval final.