A bullish Dawid Malan would not consider his place within the ODI World Cup is underneath risk from Harry Brook, saying "I don't know where that comparison's come from…I bat top three and he bats four, five, six."Malan was talking moments after England had wrapped up a convincing seven-wicket win over New Zealand, a victory that had seen the 35-year-old left-hander play a significant function with 54 runs off 42 balls. After a sluggish begin, during which Malan made solely 4 runs off his first ten balls, he went on to compile one more match-defining half-century in an England shirt. Since 2019, solely Jos Buttler (13) has made extra T20I fifties for England's than Malan's haul of 11 in 48 innings.

Furthermore, in T20Is, he's the main run-scorer in the identical interval, with 1,614 runs in comparison with Buttler's 1,453. By method of comparability, Moeen Ali in third has simply 841. It isn't any understatement to say that over the past 4 years, Malan has been nothing in need of a white-ball marvel.

In spite of that, nonetheless, Malan admitted that his overwhelming emotion after making England's provisional World Cup squad was "definitely relief".

"You look at the amount of depth we've got in English cricket…to get the call was extremely satisfying," he mentioned. "I know there are people who've missed out and I have so much sympathy for them.

"From a private viewpoint, I used to be exceptionally happy to get that decision, as a result of I felt I've labored actually laborious to get in that squad. Every alternative I've been given in 50 overs in my final 4 or 5 collection, I've gone and needed to rating the runs, doing it the powerful method to get in there."

"That's what I'm picked for," Malan said. "To rating runs and win video games. I'm not there to please anybody, I'm there to attain runs for Jos [Buttler] and Motty [Matthew Mott] and contribute to wins.

"I feel like I have done that consistently over the last five or six years, whatever it is in white-ball cricket. You get criticised, and that is part and parcel of the game. You might not be the favourite of the crowds, and the fans, and the commentators and the press, and everyone else, but all I can do is score runs when you get given the opportunity. Touch wood, I do that more often than not, and hopefully I continue to do it to keep the faith that the leadership have shown in me."

"I think you always have to score runs when you play international cricket," Malan responded, as as to if he felt the must be wanting over his shoulder. "It's a provisional squad but, from my understanding, it's up to us to score runs to stay in it. I think it would be tough, two weeks before we are flying, especially with people potentially resting for the Ireland series, to suddenly lose their place. But that is cricket and that's the way life goes. Nothing is ever guaranteed until you stand on that plane…I know people compare me to Brooky but I bat top three and he bats 4, 5, 6, so I don't know where that comparison's from."

"I don't know who will get the nod at the top of the order," Malan concluded. "Hopefully I can score as many runs as I can in the opportunities I get here, I'm not sure how many games I'll play, but when I do, hopefully I score runs and the runs put pressure on the selectors and the guys to pick an XI and keep me in it. I try not to look too far ahead, and score as many runs as I can in each opportunity."

And on that metric, no less than, Malan continues to be good.