• Bayliss hushes World Cup final ‘noise’

    Coach Trevor Bayliss has implored England to successfully navigate the hype of being touted to win Sunday’s World Cup final against New Zealand at Lord’s.

    England comfortable overcame Australia in Thursday’s semi-final at Edgbaston in Birmingham – and remain in pursuit of a maiden World Cup title.

    ‘We can’t listen to the outside noise whether it’s good or bad,” Bayliss told the BBC.

    ‘We’ve still got a job to do and one big match to go. We had a chat in the changing room after the game and realised we have not won anything yet. There is going to be a lot of noise around – “you guys are the favourites” – but we can’t listen to any of that.

    ‘We have just got to concentrate on the way we have gone about our cricket over the past four years and what has got us to this point. We have to go through our process. If we do that, we know we will play good cricket and the opposition will have to play even better to beat us.’

    New Zealand, too, are chasing a first World Cup title. They lost to Australia in the 2015 final. England suffered final defeats by the West Indies, Australia and Pakistan in 1979, 1987 and 1992, respectively.

    ‘New Zealand have proved they’re a very good team. Anyone can win the final. On the day it’s a 50-50 call,’ added Bayliss.

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