England on track to win World Cup, says Bayliss

COLOMBO: England coach Trevor Bayliss feels that their upcoming tour of Sri Lanka will be a good challenge for his side and an ideal way to start gaining momentum ahead of the ICC 2019 World Cup.

Eoin Morgan’s team are one of the favourites to win the marquee 50-over tournament, which will be hosted in England and Wales next summer. When asked about the additional pressure on his team as the host nation, Bayliss said: “A few years (ago) we set out with Andrew Strauss to hopefully get to No.1 and win the 2019 World Cup. Part of that is being able to handle the pressure of a home World Cup. I think we’re well on track to achieve that.”

“Coming to a place like Sri Lanka – where most away teams have struggled to play away from home – is a good challenge for us,” said Bayliss.“Yes, we’ve reached No.1 but we’re still a few months away from the World Cup and we want to continue the good play we’ve put on over the last 12 months,” he added.

England, who are at the summit of the ICC ODI Team Rankings, are keen to sustain a high level of performance on the tour.Sri Lanka, on the other hand, are coming off a disappointing campaign in the Asia Cup 2018 and will want to get back on their feet in home conditions.

England and Sri Lanka will lock horns for five One-day Internationals, one Twenty20 International, and a three-match Test se­ries.The first ODI will be played in Dambulla on October 10.