If Eoin Morgan really believes what he said after England's miserable World Cup ended with an anti-climactic win over Afghanistan at a near-empty Sydney Cricket Ground, then they are in even more trouble than we thought. The England one-day captain was either protecting his players or is in total denial after an early World Cup exit caused by England's extreme limitations in the 50-over format being repeatedly, brutally and embarrassingly exposed. It is the only explanation for Morgan insisting he had 'no regrets' and, even more bizarrely, saying that he felt all the England players who have under-performed so spectacularly here should carry on in the one-day blue clothing. England captain Eoin Morgan insists he and his side have 'no regrets' over their early World Cup exit . Morgan (second left) walks off the field with Ian Bell (third left) as rain delays play on Friday . This was another deflating day for England even if they did win their final, meaningless group match with ease on a soggy day in Sydney against a willing but mediocre team of minnows in Afghanistan. It was a game that was hardly worth playing and one that even the 9,000 present would have been happy to see rained off so that they could watch the far more entertaining New Zealand win over Bangladesh on TV. The statistics, if we dare bring those up, will tell you that England were businesslike in restricting Afghanistan to 111 for seven off 36.2 overs before knocking off their revised target of 101 in 25 overs with 41 balls to spare. But then came another strange press conference from a captain who has been a massive disappointment since taking over from Alastair Cook on the eve of this tournament, not least with the bat. England batsman James Taylor plays a shot as Afghanistan wicket-keeper Afsar Zazai watches on . Bell shakes hands with Afghanistan players following England's hollow consolation win at the World Cup . 'There are no regrets, absolutely not. We gave it everything,' Morgan insisted after England had managed to equal statistically their worst ever World Cup by defeating a second minnow in Afghanistan as well as Scotland. Only in 1996 have they had such a shocker, on that occasion beating just Holland and the UAE. Then came the bombshell that a team who have failed dismally to come anywhere close to the pace being set by the leading nations in this tournament should all carry on towards the 2019 World Cup. When Morgan was asked if England should make changes as they play catch-up in one-day cricket, he said: 'No, absolutely not. We haven't got guys who are coming towards the end of their careers. I don't see any reason why any of them should retire. I think we have the right calibre of squad. Guys on the outside need to be banging down the door. It's an easy thing to sit here while we're not doing well and say someone outside the squad is better. We considered everybody when we selected the squad and I still believe we had the right group of players here.' Bell plays a shot during England's match against Afghanistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground . Taylor (left) and Morgan celebrate the wicket of Afghanistan's Samiullah Shinwari during Friday's win . England batsman Alex Hales plays a shot during the final match of England's poor World Cup campaign . That may be so but if the time is not ripe for change now, then we may as well all give up on the 50-over format and go home. For instance, Ian Bell made an unbeaten 52 yesterday in his 161st one-day international but surely that must be his final appearance in a one-day shirt, whether he retires or is dropped. Also, there seems no point in either Jimmy Anderson or Stuart Broad slogging away in one-day cricket for little reward when there is the small matter of 17 Tests coming up in 10 months, starting with a tour of the West Indies.Then there is the position of the captain himself, who said he was 'hungry' to carry on at the helm. Yet Morgan is not hungry enough, it seems, to lead England in their next one-day international, against Ireland in Dublin in May. Instead he will be at the Indian Premier League even though the coach of his Hyderabad team, Tom Moody, has intimated that Morgan is a squad player and is likely to remain on the bench rather than in the action. The bottom line is that England should have been heading to Melbourne today for a World Cup quarter-final against an India team they defeated twice in the tri-series here before their world fell apart. They could even have won that and reached the semi-finals, and from there who knows what might have happened. What a wasted opportunity. What a reality check for English one-day cricket. And if Morgan truly believes that no changes need to be made now, then he is the wrong man to take England forward after this disaster of a World Cup. England's win over Afghanistan attracted only a handful of supporters to conclude a dismal World Cup . Despite their early exit the World Cup, Morgan suggests England should stick with the current squad .
Eoin Morgan says he has 'no regrets' over England's woeful World Cup exit . The win against Afghanistan was a sorry consolation for a poor tournament . England's low-key victory was played in front of a half-empty stadium . But Morgan believes England should persist with the current squad . His defiant comments are certainly cause for concern for English cricket .