England marched imperiously out of the competition. Top hat, tails, collars stiffened, cuffs starched and shoes buffered to a perfect shine: nine wickets the margin, sharp catches and crisp shots from the bats of Ian Bell and Alex Hales the memory. It was all rather predictable.
On a damp, dismal and strangely joyless evening in Sydney, not so much low-key as subterranean, even the normally boisterous Afghanistan team could not raise themselves. They put in such a shoddy fielding performance, it reminded everyone just how far they have come in such a short time — and just how far they have to go. England’s victory was facile and saved minimal face.
It was easy to recall that this was not the first time England had found their stride too late. In the Caribbean World Cup of 2007, they gave the lasting memory of the Super Eights by charging to a winning target of more than 300 against West Indies, in the days when a score of 300 was a rarity rather than a regular occurrence, before winging their way home. Like the schoolboy who reacts to admonishment by putting two fingers up at the teacher once his back is turned.
The victory gave no succour to anyone in the England camp. For sure, Morgan rediscovered his composure for his closing comments, but his shell-shocked appearance after the Bangladesh game was his lasting image. He indicated a desire to continue as captain, which seems a sensible outcome in these chaotic times. It must be remembered that he was parachuted in at the last minute and would have had little input into the make-up of the team, although once appointed he led in his own way, attempting to lighten the mood and declutter minds.
There are two caveats: it is hard to stomach him missing England’s next one-day international in Malahide in May owing to IPL commitments. He should commit completely to a job he has undertaken to do. And he must find some batting form. England cannot afford to carry passengers, whether that be Alastair Cook or Morgan or whoever. They must pick on performance and Morgan needs to rediscover his touch rapidly.
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It would have been cowardly in a way to ask for patience on his own behalf, while throwing his team-mates to the wolves, and he defended the right of all his players to carry on if chosen. But on this point the selectors must be strong: quadrennial World Cups provide a natural cut-off point for players. Whereas defeat four years ago in Colombo brought the curtain down on only Andrew Strauss’s career, it is likely that England’s whimpering campaign here may do for a few more.
When England next shape up for a one-day international, the look of the team will be very different, enforced partly by dint of the match coming the day after the scheduled return from the Caribbean but also by the need to move on. Certainly, mass unforced exits are unlikely. There is too much money and prestige at stake for players to go of their own volition. Some will need to be pushed.
The selectors are likely to look upon the team’s early departure as an opportunity to reshape England’s team and one-day outlook. England’s year ahead includes 17 Test matches up until the end of the South Africa tour — the Test series finishes during January next year — so the likelihood is that players such as James Anderson, Bell and Stuart Broad will be asked to keep their powder dry and bodies firm for that. Even the most willing workhorse cannot bear this year’s cricketing burden. James Tredwell, superfluous here until this final match, will be fortunate to feature again; Ravi Bopara may be in the same boat.
Morgan said that most players are young enough to continue, which is true enough but masks the need for accountability. Take Bell, for example, who played beautifully for a half-century against Afghanistan, remind-ing all of his special talent. But he has played in three World Cups to little effect; 161 one-day internationals for a return of four hundreds.
So England’s odd programme this year, with its helter-skelter schedule and strong Test-match focus, actually provides an opportunity.
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An opportunity to shield some experienced players, such as Anderson, away from the gruelling demands of one-day cricket, so prolonging his Test career, at the same time as allowing for the identification of a group of young and dynamic cricketers to be shaped into a one-day outfit that may, in time, align England’s one-day cricket with the rest of the world.
There will be bumps in the road, especially looking at the thin bowling coming through, but after another World Cup failure — the sixth consecutive embarrassment — there has never been a better time to try to forge a new identity.