England has set the bar high for this World Cup; now the pressure is on to live up to the hype

As luck would have it, it rained. After a long dry spell, the weather turned the moment the World Cup launch festivities began in the Mall, feeling like a bad omen for what was to come.

Long-term England supporters carry a kind of habitual pessimism. Having witnessed their team be repeatedly thrashed in previous tournaments, they're wary. Even though England enters this competition as favorites, fans are scared to fully believe in them, worried that the eventual fall from grace will be more devastating.

This current England squad, however, is a different beast entirely. They possess an incredible scoring range and a flexible bowling lineup, with Jofra Archer providing the aggression they once lacked. They are stable, synchronized, and full of belief. Their evolution over four years is evident—winning is now a plausible goal, which is a far cry from 2015 when such a result would have been considered a total miracle.

Despite the record-setting runs and their transition from mediocre players to the ones to beat, a team's reputation is ultimately decided by global championships. Winning these massive events is what draws in new fans and creates legends. And currently, there is no bigger stage in cricket than the World Cup.

As Morgan noted, it's far better to deal with the stress of being expected to win than to be dismissed as having no chance. They've already experienced the latter.