Gros Islet (St. Lucia,) May 11: England may well have avoided Australia in the semi-finals of the World Twenty20 but captain Paul Collingwood is unconcerned who his side play in the last four.
Collingwood’s men beat New Zealand by three wickets on Monday to top their Super Eights group with a perfect played three, won three record.
Former Ireland batsman Eoin Morgan starred with 40 after England, chasing 150 for victory, had slumped to 66 for four in the absence of star batsman Kevin Pietersen, who was back home for the birth of his first child, a boy, which took place on Monday.
Meanwhile, Tim Bresnan chipped in with a solid all-round display.
Pietersen, who made fifties in England’s preceding wins over both Pakistan and South Africa, is due back in the Caribbean in time for Thursday’s semi-final, also in St. Lucia, where England will be up against the runners-up in Group F.
That’s unlikely to be Australia who seem set to top that pool.
England have never won a major international one-day competition and the last of their three losing World Cup final appearances was in 1992.
“We all know we haven’t won an ICC trophy,” Collingwood said. “In the semis, and if we get through to the final, I won’t be bothered who we’re playing.
“Winning would be an exceptional effort.”
Few backed England to get to the last four, given their recent record in one-day events, and Collingwood said: “I’m just absolutely delighted to get through to the semis. Who we play doesn’t really matter.”
— AFP