"This is a side that just needed a little knock at the knees, a little kick up the backside to say, 'yep, you're No 1 in the world but if you don't do your skills well, any side, even ranked 13 in the world, can beat you.'"
Tuesday 12 June 2018 08:53, UK
Defeat to Scotland has given England the "kick up the backside" that they needed, says Nasser Hussain.
Eoin Morgan's side were beaten by six runs in a thrilling contest in Edinburgh as they fell just short of their highest successful ODI run chase.
But while the shock result is likely to be grouped with embarrassing defeats to Ireland and Netherlands in the past decade, Hussain believes this is a very different side.
"Those sides that lost to Ireland or whatever, they were sides who were bluffing their way through tournaments a little bit, changing just before tournaments and not really knowing how to win," he told Sky Sports.
"This is a different side, this is a side that just needed a little knock at the knees, a little kick up the backside to say, 'yep, you're No 1 in the world but if you don't do your skills well, any side, even ranked 13 in the world, can beat you.'
"They'll move on under Morgan, they won't over-analyse, they won't over-stress. I didn't think the bowlers bowled particularly well, I'd like to see a few more cunning plans like the plan we saw from Willey, not just to run up and keep running up and doing the same thing.
"The key about World Cups is being ahead of the curve so I'd like to see captains, coaches, bowling attacks think, 'if we get on a ground where you could get 400' - Trent Bridge you can get 400 or go for 400 - 'what are we going to do? Are we going to bowl back-of-a-length and keep disappearing out of the ground or are we going to have some cunning plans that you can work with?' It is difficult but there must be a plan B or C.
"I'd be interested to hear from Eoin on why he only bowled the five bowlers today. Was that a little bit of thinking that they were going to be under pressure and he wanted to see them deliver? Some good things came out of today, even from England's point of view."
Meanwhile, Hussain thinks the number of younger players involved is cause for optimism for Scotland but urged them not to see the win at The Grange as the end of their journey as a team, but rather the start.
"What I like about Scotland is that there are some new faces, you have to do a bit of research about some of the younger players and who is coming through and I think that is going to be the absolute key," he said.
"Sometimes I see Ireland and it is the same names years after year, they're a very good side but really if you want a future, your future, it's what is coming up beneath.
"Those top four, senior players did really well but youngsters also coming in so there is a constant flow, Cricket Scotland looking to improve.
"This can't just be their Everest, climb it and that's it, 'we're done'. This has to be their starting point to kick on for the future. They have sent a massive statement out to the ICC today."
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