DUBAI (Reuters) – England will start their Twenty20 World Cup marketing campaign on Saturday in a repeat of the 2016 last in opposition to West Indies however captain Eoin Morgan denied they are going to be carrying any scars from that agonising defeat in Kolkata 5 years in the past.
Needing 19 off the final over from Ben Stokes, Carlos Brathwaite smacked 4 consecutive sixes in a wide ranging show of power-hitting to safe West Indies’ second 20-overs World Cup title in Kolkata.
Requested if his staff carried any scars from that last-over thriller at Eden Gardens, Morgan firmly mentioned “No” earlier than elaborating.
“I feel a number of the greatest disappointments in anyone’s profession are extra learnings than scars,” mentioned the 35-year-old, who led England to their maiden 50-overs World Cup in 2019.
“I feel if there have been scars, we might have misplaced loads of gamers that would not have progressed, like they’ve finished over the past 4 or 5 years, all through their careers.
“I feel the event of the aspect has strengthened that anytime we have come up in opposition to a aspect that has overwhelmed us in no matter vogue they’ve, we have at all times seemed to study and progress and change into a greater aspect.”
The 2010 champions are bidding to change into the primary staff to carry each the limited-overs World Cups on the identical time and can start Tremendous 12 stage marketing campaign in opposition to arguably their hardest Group 1 opponents.
“West Indies are a robust staff with loads of expertise,” mentioned Morgan.
“They’ve loads of guys who’ve been round for a very long time.
“It has been a very long time since we have performed them in a T20 World Cup and we stay up for it.”
Morgan’s insistence however, West Indies captain Kieron Pollard suspected England have been nonetheless rankled by their defeat in Kolkata.
“It is positively going to be in the back of their minds,” Pollard advised a information convention, saying they have been drawing inspiration from that match.
“What Carlos did in these 4 deliveries within the final over, it is unbelievable and one thing that we really noticed final night time and it introduced goosebumps again to us,” mentioned the towering all-rounder.
“For us to be in that scenario and recover from the road, it reveals that never-say-die angle. We as a staff stay up for replicate that.”
A present of solidarity will precede Saturday’s contest with Morgan saying England would be part of West Indies in taking a knee earlier than the match “to point out our help within the within the combat in opposition to racism.”
(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in Dubai; modifying by Christian Radnedge)
