• “You can’t reinvent yourself overnight,” Mott told the BBC. “A lot of teams that have won World Cups have lost particularly early.“You can’t reinvent yourself overnight,” Mott told the BBC. “A lot of teams that have won World Cups have lost particularly early.
• Ben Stokes, who was brought back for this tournament having not played a Twenty20 international for more than a year, made six from eight balls while number three Dawid Malan found no timing in his 35 from 37.
Image: HANDOUT
England will not “throw the baby out with the bathwater” in their crucial T20 World Cup match against Australia on Friday despite Wednesday’s loss to Ireland, says coach Matthew Mott.
The surprise five-run defeat means a loss to their Ashes rivals will all-but end England’s hopes of progressing.
But, despite a poor performance with bat and ball against Ireland, Mott dismissed the idea of sweeping changes.
“You can’t reinvent yourself overnight,” Mott told the BBC. “A lot of teams that have won World Cups have lost particularly early.
“It can be a bit of sting that you need. We don’t want to lose any games but it is probably going to galvanise the group in terms of our approach.”
England’s loss has set up a highly anticipated encounter at the 94,000-capacity Melbourne Cricket Ground, with hosts and defending champions Australia in a similar position having lost their first game of the tournament.
After a poor start with the ball, England dismissed Ireland for 157 on Wednesday but their top order struggled to get going in pursuit as they ended on 105-5, five runs short of the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) target when rain brought an early finish.
Ben Stokes, who was brought back for this tournament having not played a Twenty20 international for more than a year, made six from eight balls while number three Dawid Malan found no timing in his 35 from 37.
But Mott ruled out tweaking the batting order - a move that could mean Moeen Ali or Liam Livingstone promoted up the order - and suggested if there were any changes to the XI they would come in the bowling department, if bowlers did not pull up well for a second match in three days.
“I think we’ve played really solid cricket over the last month,” Australian Mott said. “We had a bad day yesterday but we’re not going to throw the baby out with the bathwater.”
Mott, speaking early on Thursday morning before England’s training session at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was forced indoors because of more rain, was firm and honest in response to questions of England’s defeat, describing the performance as “timid”.
It is understood captain Buttler and all-rounder Stokes spoke strongly in the dressing room after the defeat.
“We were a bit stunned last night,” Mott said.
“In those sort of games the weather does play a trick with your mind and on reflection we were probably a bit tentative as a group.”
England are third in Group 1, level on two points with Australia, who beat Sri Lanka on Tuesday after being thrashed by New Zealand.
While a defeat for either side would not mathematically rule them out of finishing in the top two and progressing to the semi-finals, it would leave them needing to win their final two games and see an unlikely set of results go in their favour. Rain could yet prove a factor again with more showers forecast for Friday. Australia overcame a slow start to beat Sri Lanka on Tuesday, responding to being dismissed for 111 in pursuit of 201 with a seven-wicket win.
There has been speculation about captain Aaron Finch’s place in the side after he was visibly frustrated throughout his knock against Sri Lanka - a 42-ball 31 at the top of the order.
Asked what he made of suggestions he should drop out of the side, Finch joked: “[It is] Lucky I pick the team then, isn’t it?”
He added: “I still feel confident in my game, 100 per cent.”
Spinner Adam Zampa missed Tuesday’s win after testing positive for Covid-19. Finch said he expected Zampa to be available.
“I have heard Zamps is feeling a lot better,” Finch said. “He was really flat the day before the game. We were going to give him as much time as possible to get up for the game but he thought it would take too much out of him. Going into a World Cup game you want to be 100 per cent.”