LONDON (Agencies): England batsman Jonny Bairstow said he would rather win the 50-overs World Cup than the Ashes series against Australia if he was given the chance to claim only one. World Cup returns to England and Wales after 20 years and Bairstow said England deserved to win their maiden title after all the hard work they had put in over the past two years to become the number one ranked one-day team.
“I am going (to pick the) World Cup because it’s been so long since we’ve had an opportunity to win one,” Bairstow told Sky Sports. “I think that the amount of work that has gone into this group of players over the last couple of years, building and building, I firmly believe we’ve put an amount of effort in that gives us the best chance. “Guys have worked day in, day out, taking their games to places that they weren’t at 18 months, two years ago. That’s from the vision Morgs (England captain Eoin Morgan) has had and the way we are playing our one-day cricket.” Bairstow also credited the Indian Premier League (IPL) for sharpening his skills and improving his form ahead of the World Cup.
