Team director Andy Flower is hoping to use Sunday’s World Twenty20 success as a springboard for future success with England, who are now 3/1 to win the Ashes next winter.

England secured a seven-wicket victory over the old enemy thanks to a superb all-round bowling display and magnificent hitting from Craig Kieswetter and Kevin Pietersen.

Paul Collingwood’s men were the best side throughout the tournament and secured England’s first one-day success in a major tournament following four unsuccessful final appearances.

England have a relatively low-key summer with Tests against Bangladesh and Pakistan before a daunting trip Down Under to defend the Ashes.

Flower does not want the players to rest on their laurels and, after the celebrations die down, wants to plot the side’s continual improvement over the coming months.

“I can’t help thoughts moving to the future and, in all three forms of the game, we have a lot of hard work and improvement to do if we want to be consistently successful,” he said.

“I think we’ll enjoy this win, like we should, it’s the first time an English side has taken home a World Cup trophy. But we’ll move on fairly quickly, back into hard work and looking for constant improvement.”

Despite the loss against England, Australia are still the 8/15 favourites to win the Ashes back, with England trading at 3/1 and the draw on offer at 9/2.

England can be backed at 6/1 to win the next 50-over World Cup, with India the 7/2 favourites and Australia trading at 4/1.