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ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP

July 2, 2019

Eoin Morgan

Chester-le-Street, County Durham, England, UK

Q. Are we looking like potentially an unchanged team as a result of that terrific win?
EOIN MORGAN: I haven't seen the wicket yet, so our selection decision and the balance of the side will be down to the wicket and what we think is the most effective against the New Zealand batting line-up.

Q. How is Jason Roy after his ailment?
EOIN MORGAN: He's good, he's good. He's going to be fit for tomorrow.

Q. That is a great boost for you because he's been in terrific form, hasn't he?
EOIN MORGAN: He has, yeah, fantastic form. Him and Jonny at the top of the order in the Indian game did really set the tone for our innings on a wicket that we didn't feel was that good to bat on, so they took us up past a par score which is great.

Jonny scoring runs is a huge bonus, you know, and when he's in good form he's extremely hard to bowl at at the top of the order.

Q. While you have got the confidence back from that terrific win, New Zealand obviously have lost the two, lost the momentum, does that give you the guys the boost going into this?
EOIN MORGAN: We haven't necessarily looked at it like that. I think the most satisfying thing from the last game from our side is that we went out and played our brand of cricket. We were allowed to do that at the beginning, the way the two guys played. It felt more like the way that we play and the fact that we won doing that is extremely encouraging.

Q. Over the last few years, you have made a great virtue of chasing and chasing down big totals. Has the way the tournament has progressed and the way the other day against India panned out, do you see the virtue of batting first now and getting the runs on the board?
EOIN MORGAN: I think just accepting that the wickets haven't been as good as they have been in the last four years has changed that.

The game yesterday, the wicket looked good for 100 overs, so it might change again tomorrow. But I think every wicket that we have played on so far has been tougher to bat on in the second innings regardless if we had won or not. Even the games I have watched on TV, it's been tougher second innings.

Q. Picking up, mentioning Jason there. What about Jofra. He's been managing a little bit of a niggle. How do you feel he is pulling up in terms of fitness?
EOIN MORGAN: He's pulled up really well and should be fit to play, yes.

Q. The fact that with the India game and now this game, it's effectually almost become knockout cricket, although it's still the group game for England. Has that in some way helped sharpen England the fact they know there is no room for error now?
EOIN MORGAN: Two defeats does that (smiling). I think it's -- it was clear that after the Australia game, there was a huge amount of disappointment in the changing room and the fact that we have been able to turn that around, identify where we are at and identify what we need to do in order to progress to the semis, made things clear about how we want to continue to play, which haven't changed, is important and it's been effective.

Q. I read some commentary in The Times that criticised Kane Williamson for being too cautious, too timid and having a sedate style. Would you agree with that? How would you describe his leadership style?
EOIN MORGAN: I would disagree with that. Kane is an extremely good leader. I have played with him at Hyderabad. In the changing room, he wasn't a captain at the time I was there, but he is an impressive leader. The way he goes about his business is extremely admirable. He is a quality, quality cricketer who is extremely humble and open to learning all the time and offers his time to anybody as well.

Q. Now that you head to the crucial phase and everybody is saying 'it is coming home'. How are you keeping your boys, what are you telling them? The pressure I am sure is immense.
EOIN MORGAN: It's a matter of staying in the moment, identifying what we can do in order to contribute to the next game, which is tomorrow. So today is getting enough to put yourself in good form for tomorrow, or good head space to try and effectively win a game of cricket.

Q. You guys have your explosive pair at the top of the order in Jason and Jonny. The Black Caps have one in Martin Guptill. He is slightly out of form at the moment. Do you see him as a massive threat and the fact that he is out of form, is it a matter of time before he kind of explodes into form?
EOIN MORGAN: It's difficult to tell. We don't identify one particular player in any side. They are a very strong line-up, probably built around Kane at 3 and Ross at 4, obviously two huge players for them. But very destructive players either side of that.

Q. Two parts. Firstly, is it to fair to say the New Zealand game in the last World Cup was probably rock bottom?
EOIN MORGAN: Yeah.

Q. And can you reflect on that a bit and talk about the influence of that New Zealand side on creating this England side?
EOIN MORGAN: Yeah. Yeah, it was as close to rock bottom as I've been, certainly as a captain, as a player, being beaten off the park like that is humiliating. The influence, I think the influence throughout that whole World Cup on all the other teams around the world was quite extreme.

New Zealand proved a point that you can be really good humans and grow the game and play cricket in your own way and win at the same time, which is incredibly eye-opening for a lot of countries around the world.

I thought that rubbed off on everybody in the World Cup, yeah.

Q. Sorry to move away from cricket slightly, but there is already an England team in a semifinal. Any message for the girls tonight?
EOIN MORGAN: Good luck. It's been great to watch. I know a lot of the guys have followed it. It looks extremely hot out there (smiling). But the very best of luck.

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