Eoin Morgan: Complacency not the cause of England's semi-final exit
Wednesday 14 June 2017 21:16, UK
Eoin Morgan ruled out any element of complacency and insisted 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 in Wednesday's semi-final but then faltered alarmingly to be bowled out for 211 as Hasan Ali (3-35) exemplified an outstanding performance from the visitors' attack on a dry surface which suited them ideally.
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 the tournament at the last-four stage.
It was an outcome which confounded almost all predictions after England had breezed through the group stages - 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 two days ago.
Morgan believes that experience, on the same strip prepared for this match, played its part - and spelled out that England did not take unpredictable Pakistan lightly.
"We certainly weren't over-confident," he said. "We've played against some really good sides recently, and we've managed to beat them. But that certainly 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.
"We left ourselves short today, adapting to conditions," added Morgan. "It's a big frustration, because I think we've played some great cricket in this tournament - and we weren't anywhere close to it today.
"I think, going into today's game knowing that we were going to play on a used wicket potentially brought Pakistan's game closer to their home.
"Certainly, for us coming from Edgbaston, it was obviously a big change in pace and bounce and too much of an ask for us to adjust to really. 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.
"But fair credit to Pakistan. They adjusted to conditions extremely well. They played brilliantly."
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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," he said.
"I think 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 I think we're moving in the right direction."
