Cricket World Cup: Trevor Bayliss insists his side must ‘block out the noise’ ahead of final
Eoin Morgan’s side produced an inspired display to complete a remarkable eight-wicket victory over Australia at Edgbaston and will meet New Zealand at Lord’s on Sunday
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Your support makes all the difference.England head coach Trevor Bayliss knows his side must not listen to the noise of an expectant nation as they prepare for a first World Cup final in 27 years.
Eoin Morgan's side produced an inspired display to complete a remarkable eight-wicket victory over Australia at Edgbaston and will meet New Zealand at Lord's on Sunday.
With the showpiece event also being broadcast on a free-to-air platform following an agreement between rights holders Sky and Channel 4, expectations will be elevated to another level.
Australian Bayliss, though, has called for calm as England look to go one better than they did in their last World Cup final appearance in 1992 when they lost against Imran Khan's Pakistan by 22 runs in Melbourne.
"We had a chat in the changing room (at Edgbaston) afterwards and realised we have not won anything yet," Bayliss said on BBC Radio 5 Live.
"There is going to be a lot of noise around 'you guys are now the favourites', and all this type of thing - 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 and 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."
After Australia were all out for 223 in 49 overs, England opener Jason Roy struck a superb 85 from 65 balls - including nine fours and five sixes - as he put on yet another big stand with Jonny Bairstow to break the back of the run chase.
Roy was given out for an apparent glove behind despite getting nowhere near the ball in question from Pat Cummins.
With no DRS available, he reacted angrily enough to the decision to earn two demerit points and a 30 per cent match fee fine in a post-match hearing.
Bayliss, though, feels the 28-year-old can soon put the incident behind him.
"I think it shows the passion Jason has got for the game, and it is such a big game as well, when he was on the verge of scoring a hundred," the England head coach said.
"He will learn from that and go on to bigger and better things, I am sure."
The Surrey batsman is expected to be in contention for a place in the Ashes squad.
Bayliss, though, was giving little away as his current focus stays on the one-day format.
"We sit down about the 17th (July), three days after this World Cup final for that to be discussed," he said.
"But he has certainly been in discussions over the last six to 12 months and I am certain he will be in discussions this time around also."
Bayliss felt it was a "fantastic gesture" by rights holders Sky to help facilitate the national side returning to traditional free-to-air television for the first time since the 2005 Ashes.
"It is an opportunity to influence another generation of young cricketers - 2005 was 14 years ago - I am sure there are a number of players in this team who were pretty young when that was happening and it would have inspired those to greater things, so hopefully this can do a similar thing for the next generation," he said.
Bayliss, 56, is set to step down at the end of his current deal in September, no matter what the summer brings.
"I have always been a believer that four or five years is long enough, whether you are doing well or not," he said.
"It is time for a new voice for the boys, to hopefully take them to another level."
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