Trevor Bayliss, the England head coach, expressed disappointment after his side’s 219-run (DLS) defeat against Sri Lanka in the inconsequential fifth ODI of their series on Tuesday, October 23.
Eoin Morgan and his boys won the series 3-1, but Bayliss expects more from his top-ranked side.
“Our performance in the field, our attitude in the field, was nowhere near up-to-scratch for a No.1 team. We’ve got some hard work to do going forward,” he said.
“There are not too many more opportunities before the World Cup squad is picked, so some of the guys will have to turn it around pretty quick. We’re looking for some of those guys to take hold of that opportunity. If they do, they might find themselves in a World Cup squad. And if they don’t, well, they might miss out. There will be some disappointed guys in the changing room.”
England will travel to the Caribbean for a full tour against the West Indies in January 2019. They will play two Tests, four ODIs, and three T20Is on the tour. The ODI series will be very important for selecting the squad for World Cup.
“Our batting and spin-bowling line-up is pretty well set ahead of the World Cup, so it comes down to pace bowling. The West Indies series could mean a lot in that respect,” added Bayliss.
