Ian bell reckons the best is yet to come for England

Rarely have England been such staunch favorites at the start of a major ICC tournament. The event is being conducted in their home turf and the fact that their players are ready to fire at a moment’s notice is just a few of the factors. The runners-up of the previous edition in 2013, they will want to go all the way this time. The team looks to be as consolidated and balanced as it has ever been. And so far, they have backed it up.

In the first match against England, chasing a decent score by Bangladesh of 305, they got through with nearly three overs to spare and with the loss of just 3 wickets. And it didn’t stop there. Their all-round performance with the bat, ball and on the field against the Kiwis, who are favorites in almost every tournament they enter was also clinical.

Putting up a score of 310, which has been just about a par score this season, they bowled with exceptional lethality to bundle up New Zealand for just 223, thereby becoming the first team to cement their berth in the semifinals.

Ian Bell on England’s current form

Former England opener Ian Bell was all praise for the current crop of the team led by Eoin Morgan. However, he believes the best is still yet to come and it will be shown when it really matters. “The exciting thing about this England team is that it hasn’t played its best game yet. That’s still to come. And the best teams save their best games for when they really matter” wrote Bell in his column for the International Cricket Council.

He was all praise for the performance against the Kiwis praising Liam Plunkett and naming him the pick of the bowlers. Adil Rashid, who didn’t play against Bangladesh made a comeback and picked up two vital wickets and being a miser with the runs. Bell also called for Jason Roy who has been having a tough time this tournament.

He said that as a former opener, Bell understands the pressure Roy is in and the team should back him up. Overall, he was delighted with England’s performance against the Kiwis.”In many

“In many ways, England’s 87-run victory was a complete team win. It wasn’t flashy, we didn’t see a lot of the explosive hitting which has made this team so popular over the last couple of years, but what we did see was a collective effort to contribute to what ultimately was a very, very impressive victory”, Bell wrote.

England play their final group match against Australia on June 10, with what is a must-win game for the Aussies.