Tuesday 29 March 2016 17:47, UK
Eoin Morgan says he cannot believe the progress England have made in limited-overs cricket after last year's World Cup.
England reached the semi-finals of the World T20, in which they will play New Zealand on Wednesday, with a 10-run win over Sri Lanka in Delhi.
Morgan's side have already exceeded their performances at the 50-over World Cup, where they failed to get out of the group.
And the captain has been surprised at the rapid progress the team has made since their dismal displays at that tournament 12 months ago.
"I've been asked the question a couple of times and I can't quite believe where we are in terms of our 20-over cricket and our one-day cricket," he said.
"The guys we've selected have done outstandingly well and have shown a great attitude playing against very good sides who knock you back.
Coming into this tournament we talked about emulating the fashion in which New Zealand played in the World Cup and the aggressive nature in which they went about their game, particularly with the ball.
"Every question that has been asked of us we have given a counter answer or a more aggressive option."
Morgan felt the one-day international series against New Zealand last June was vital to the team's transformation, primarily because it helped provide a blueprint for the new aggression in the team's bowling attack.
"The New Zealand series was very important. Coming into this tournament we talked about emulating the fashion in which they played in the World Cup and the aggressive nature in which they went about their game, particularly with the ball.
"Their swing bowlers were outstanding and that encourages a positive mind set throughout everything that you do - with the bat it can come more naturally.
"They did play a key part for us, absolutely."
Morgan was not always part of a team that needed to overcome the odds or play catch-up in the shortest format.
In 2010 he was a key member of the England side that, albeit briefly, became market leaders by winning the World T20 in the Caribbean.
He is the sole survivor from that vintage though the man who lifted the trophy, Paul Collingwood, is part of the coaching staff, an omen that has not gone unnoticed in the camp.
And, looking around a buoyant dressing room, it is not the only parallel Morgan recognises.
"I see a few actually," he said.
"The main one would be how relaxed everybody is around the group. How much they are enjoying the challenge of playing international cricket at the moment and their hunger to win.
"It is all right having fun and enjoying what you are doing but if you don't have that inner drive to want to improve and win games of cricket you are going to stand still for a long time. This side has shown strengths which are similar [to 2010]."
England (probable): A Hales, J Roy, J Root, E Morgan (capt), J Buttler (wkt), B Stokes, M Ali, C Jordan, D Willey, A Rashid, L Plunkett.
New Zealand (possible): M Guptill, K Williamson (capt), C Munro, R Taylor, C Anderson, G Elliott, L Ronchi (wkt), T Southee, M Santner, M McClenaghan, I Sodhi.
Watch England take on New Zealand in the semi-final of the ICC World Twenty20 from 1.30pm on Wednesday, on Sky Sports 2.
