England’s one-day side need to stop having “moments of madness” if they are to win the World Cup this summer, says former captain Michael Vaughan.
The tourists lost their last six wickets for just 35 runs in defeat by West Indies in the second one-day international in Barbados on Friday.
Rain caused Monday’s third ODI to be abandoned without a ball being bowled.
“England have got everything required to win the World Cup except for these moments of madness,” said Vaughan.
“It happens every four or five games and if it happens in the semi-final then they are out.”
England were stunned by Pakistan in the 2017 Champions Trophy semi-final after being bowled out for 211 and sustained their heaviest ever ODI defeat against Sri Lanka in October, having already won the series.
Eoin Morgan’s side, who are ranked number one in the world, have 10 scheduled ODIs before their World Cup campaign begins on 30 May, starting with the fourth ODI against West Indies in Grenada on Wednesday.
“The India side around the time they won the 2011 World Cup didn’t have the day England had in Barbados on Friday,” Vaughan told BBC Radio 5 live’s Tuffers and Vaughan show.
“The Australia side that won in 2015 lost the odd game but they didn’t have moments like England do on a consistent basis.
“It’s not a [whole] game, it’s almost just a period of the game – in that Champions Trophy semi-final against Pakistan, it was just 10 or so overs where England lost four quick wickets and the game was over.
“That’s my concern for them in the World Cup.”
Vaughan said that although England’s batting is their “major strength” it is also the “one thing that could let them down under pressure.”
“England do get bored if they’re not whacking it – if they have not struck a boundary in 10 balls they think, ‘I have got to hit one’,” he added.
“It is the only thing I look at the team and worry about – if they are under big pressure in a one-off game and the ball is doing a bit and they go gung-ho.
“If they continue play in that fashion they will have games where they completely dominate.
“But they also have that one game, where I still have a bit of doubt that they might not be smart enough to see themselves through a 20-over period when a bit of old-school cricket might be required.”
Vaughan said England had enough experience to stop such collapses but have “just got to work on their mentality.”
“If you’re out there in the middle – win the game, don’t leave it to anyone else, don’t get bored of doing what you’re doing well,” he said.
“This England team has been great. They have trained the brain get 330. It has been lovely to watch.
“But it may be that they get to a semi-final and 270 would be enough and if you go for 330 to 350 then you might only get 210.
“You don’t win a World Cup by just whacking it. You have to play smart cricket.”
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