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Morgan: England should fear nobody at Cricket World Cup

Skipper Eoin Morgan insists his side fear nobody in world cricket as they look to do what no England side has done previously over 50 overs and lift this summer’s ICC Cricket World Cup.

Morgan’s white-ball revolution has propelled his side top of the ODI world rankings and has seen England sweep the board in their last nine series – put simply, they are the team to beat.

Since the group-stage exit at the last World Cup, Morgan’s side have won 51 of 76 one-day internationals, losing 20, with one tie and four no results.

The ten teams in the tournament will play against each other in a single-league format, with the top four sides after 45 matches qualifying for the two semi-finals – and Morgan feels a last-four spot is England’s to lose.

The likes of five-time winners Australia revealed they’re trying to mimic a peerless short-form formula produced by Morgan and his men, with England’s dominance unbridled ahead of the World Cup’s start on 30 May.

And captain Morgan, 32, is comfortable with the crown of world number one but with the likes of five-time winners Australia and two-time champions India lying in wait – the task ahead of his side is far from plain sailing.

“We know that we are favourites going into the tournament, we’ve earned that tag through our performances,” he said.

“If we can stay true to ourselves and produce performances like we have over the last three years, we’ll be in good stead.

“They won’t keep me up at night, but there are some very strong teams in the tournament and India are probably the strongest.

“They’ve put in some great performances since the last World Cup, they’re growing as a team and they have quite a good template for winning games.

“We played them recently at home and had some success, too. It’s always nice to come up against one of the main World Cup contenders and do well.”

England, who begin their World Cup campaign against South Africa at the Oval, have 11 games to prepare for their assault on cricket’s greatest prize.

In the lead-up to the showpiece, England’s outstanding ODI record will be shouted from the rooftops.

But Morgan maintains his team’s remaining run-outs, starting with a five-match tussle with West Indies, will be lingering litmus tests.

“We’ve got 11 games to go and we’re under no illusion they are 11 massive games for us,” he said.

“One big thing for us is that we don’t stand still as a team. We need to keep learning and performing as a team as we have been over the last three years.”

It’s impossible to dismiss the influence England’s home advantage will hold with the last two Cricket World Cup winners – Australia in 2015 and India in 2011 – both host nations.

The England captain fully embraces the boost his charges will garner from a groundswell of backing.

“It matters a huge amount – history proves that,” he said.

“Being comfortable with surroundings and conditions and having the backing of the fans is a huge factor.”

If there’s any latent cynicism over the legacy of major sporting events as the latest bonanza rolls into Blighty, Morgan is living proof it can be dispelled.

Hailing from Dublin as one of six siblings in a cricket-mad clan, Morgan encountered the World Cup as an impressionable 13-year-old starting out on his sporting journey.

Watching a West Indies led by Brian Lara and Courtney Walsh leave the southpaw spellbound, starting a World Cup journey he hopes will culminate in a Lord’s final in July.

“For me the 1999 World Cup kind of started it all off,” he said.

“Ireland playing West Indies in Dublin was the first big international game I attended, and it was from then I started to picture myself in a shirt playing in a World Cup, on that big a stage.

“I think that’s the power of a Cricket World Cup, it really does have the potential to create those inspirational moments.

“Whoever you are it makes you think I could be that person, or I could be in that team, or lift that trophy.”

ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy Tour, driven by Nissan, commences 100-day tour of England and Wales and will be at over 100 locations and events before arriving back in London ready for the opening match on May 30