“I think all we can do now is keep looking towards that World Cup and use this as a really good platform”

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

Joe Root has backed England for World Cup glory in 2019 even though they were recently eliminated from the Champions Trophy, which is being played in their backyard.

Taking on Pakistan in the semi-final of the event, England, who were the only team to win all of their group stage matches, succumbed to an eight-wicket defeat in Cardiff on Wednesday and subsequently saw their hopes of winning their first-ever Champions Trophy go up in smoke.

Root was England’s highest scorer in the match with 46 runs and the 26-year-old lamented his side’s batting collapse, where they went from 128/2 being bowled out for 211.

“I’m just very disappointed,” Root said. “We’ve played some really good cricket throughout the whole of this summer, and so it was frustrating not being able to win it.

“This doesn’t feel great at the minute but there’s a lot of cricket still to play this summer, and we’ve got to make sure we’re right for that.”

Despite England losing out on the opportunity to win a major ICC competition in front of their home fans, Root believes that his side are capable of going all the way when his country hosts the World Cup in two years’ time.

“This was a golden chance to win a tournament at home, and I think all we can do now is keep looking towards that World Cup and use this as a really good platform,” Root added. “We know we’re not the finished article. But we have made huge strides and we’ve got to continue to work out ways to get on the right side of these scenarios when things aren’t favourable to us.

“But more than anything we’ve got to keep that drive we’ve had over the last 18 months to keep getting better – so when that World Cup does come around we’re in the best shape possible to give ourselves the best chance of contending in that final.”