Former England captain Naseer Hussain has backed Eoin Morgan to be a part of playing XI despite his poor form with a bat. Morgan was rested by England in the first warm-up match against India but returned against New Zealand in the second warm-up game last night. After a miserable run in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the England skipper looked off-colour against Kiwis as well. Batting at four, he scored only 10 runs consuming 11 deliveries before being trapped by leg-spinner Ish Sodhi.
Hussain asserts Morgan is a World Cup-winning captain and despite his struggles with the bat, can make a significant contribution to England. As a result, by all hooks and crooks, he should be in the starting XI.
“Morgan's value to the side far outweighs the runs he contributes. I could not leave him out. You cannot put a value on his calm and experience in pressure situations like a World Cup,” Hussain wrote in his Daily Mail’s column.
In addition to that, Hussain believes Moeen Ali should be England's first choice in the playing-XI in their first encounter against West Indies on October 23.
“As long as the dew isn't a huge factor, the way Moeen has played recently means I want him involved; he's a good striker of the ball, a fine player of spin and would be my choice as fifth bowler," the 53-year-old added.
In the absence of star all-rounder Ben Stokes and speedster Jofra Archer, England will have to find the right team combination before they take on defending champions West Indies in the first match. Tymal Mills, for example, hasn't played much international cricket. In the warm-up matches, both Morgan and the number one T20I batter Dawid Malan seemed out of touch, which is a major concern for last year's runner-ups.
