Paul Collingwood has claimed that England must take the World Cup as seriously as The Ashes to stand a chance of winning the tournament.
A disastrous group-stage exit at the World Cup earlier this year resulted in Peter Moores leaving his post to make way for new head coach Trevor Bayliss.
England have claimed a series triumph over New Zealand and lost to Australia since then, and Collingwood believes that improving in one-day internationals must continue to be a priority.
"We've got to make sure that the World Cup is equal to winning the Ashes," Collingwood, who will serve as a consultant when England take on Pakistan in the UAE, told reporters. "It's a huge opportunity for the youngsters coming through and the guys already there to do something special.
"We have a group of players who can move forward very quickly and hopefully get to the very top and be one step ahead rather than one step behind all the time.
"It's a few years away but if we can get some great ideas, tactics and approaches on how we are going to go about it, it's crucial that we get the right players in the right spots as soon as possible."
England host the next World Cup in 2019.
Callum Mulvihill
