TALENTED, ruthless, efficient and the champions-elect.

No, I am not talking about Australia, Pakistan or Sri Lanka, but England.

There is something quite exciting about Paul Collingwood’s unit. It is one thing being talented, but moulding that into a winning team is something else.

The hope of a nation is suddenly turning into expectation. Gone are the days when an England team are beaten in the big games before they even step out on to the pitch.

Instead, it should be Sri Lanka and Australia that take the field with trepidation in the coming days because the Three Lions are ready to roar.

It will take more than a couple of early wickets for this England team to fold. After all, any team that has Eoin Morgan coming in at number five is not to be trifled with.

They look capable of chasing any score down and the bowling unit seems to be feeding off the confidence their batting colleagues have infused into the team.

The spin twins, Graeme Swann and Michael Yardy, are just as destructive as their big-hitting colleagues like Morgan, Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood.

Their bowling styles compliment each other perfectly and the pressure they apply to their opponents is suffocating. In the middle overs, when teams usually lay the platform for their innings, they are being dismantled by a pair of bowlers that are the unsung heroes of the side.

But the real beauty of this England team is that every player is playing their part. There are no passengers and everyone has a role to play.

They are being marshalled superbly by Collingwood – a master tactician and player that gets every last ounce of ability from his potential.

His style of cricket – talented and tenacious – is being reflected in the way England play. And his shrewd leadership is the reason why a talented crop of players might just become the best team in the world on Sunday evening.