Matt Prior is urging England to hold their nerve despite the Champions Trophy semi-final exit because he believes they have a team which will be the envy of the world for years to come.
The triple Ashes-winning wicketkeeper has identified a "sweet spot" in English cricket thanks to a perfect blend of youth and experience across the formats, and in white-ball cricket specifically a batting line-up without equal.
Prior is confident coach Trevor Bayliss and captain Eoin Morgan will press ahead with the attacking principles which appeared to put England ahead of the game, in the two years since the last World Cup, until one bad day in Cardiff last week saw them slip out of their own tournament with a whimper against subsequent champions Pakistan.
Out-of-form opener Jason Roy was dropped for that match, despite earlier assurances from Morgan that the big-hitting Surrey batsman would keep his place throughout.
Prior nonetheless sees it as a winning quality that England had already shown they are prepared to stick with Roy through lean times, unlike when he himself was asked to try his hand at the top of the one-day international order on occasions, because the long-term benefits will be substantial.
"The state of English cricket, all the teams, is incredibly good," said Prior.
"You're in that 'sweet spot', with young and hugely exciting young players coming through, and still a lot of experience as well.
"In the Test team, for example, to have (Alastair) Cook, (James) Anderson, (Stuart) Broad in the wings waiting to come back in is a massive advantage."
Before that record-breaking trio return for the start of the Test summer next month, England have dipped into the other end of the playing pool by bringing five uncapped hopefuls into the mix for the three-match Twenty20 series set to get under way against South Africa in Southampton on Wednesday.
Prior senses that is also a good move.
"It's a great idea to bring these uncapped players in," he said.
"It will be five of them coming in together, a huge help, not just one going into a new squad - which can be a little bit daunting.
"I like it as well because it's looking to the future - getting some caps under these guys' belts. It shows vision."
Roy retains his place in a 16-man squad, and Prior expects him to repay England's faith after returning to form for Surrey on Saturday following his paltry sequence of just 51 runs in eight ODI innings this summer.
"Make no mistake, Jason Roy is a hugely talented cricketer - and he is going to play a lot of cricket for England.
"You can't have someone going out and playing the brilliant shots he plays, taking the game on from ball one, and then moan if he pops one up to cover."
Roy is emblematic of Morgan's England.
"It is just so refreshing to see this team play with such freedom and attitude," added Prior, speaking to Press Association Sport during the Chance to Shine Yorkshire Tea National Cricket Week.
"We never had that when I played international cricket because you were going to cop it and get left out.
"You were so scared of that happening . but now it's different, and that's a great thing."
He expects it to last too.
"It will be really disappointing after getting knocked out in a semi-final, really sad to see England take a step back," he said.
"But I don't see it happening because I don't think Trevor Bayliss or Eoin Morgan would ever let it.
"It isn't just Jason Roy, of course - we have been playing cricket (over the last two years) like we've never played before."
Prior points to the scoreboard as his compelling evidence.
"The number of sixes England have hit, more than other teams, is ridiculous . and the number of times they've gone past 300, the same," he said.
"These are the signs. Some statistics don't mean that much, but these ones do . you can't get away from them.
"It was one of our biggest weaknesses, when I was playing that we couldn't hit sixes - because we were still constrained by what we thought was possible, from playing Test cricket.
"Now they can, and whatever they are doing at the moment is working . I hope they continue doing it for a long time."
:: Matt Prior was attending a Chance to Shine Street cricket session as part of Yorkshire Tea National Cricket Week. To find out more go to www.chancetoshine.org/Street.
Source: PA
