Morgan frets over batting failure
England captain Eoin Morgan lamented their batting display as they crashed to a thumping loss to Pakistan in the four-match series’ first ODI at Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, reports IBNLive.
Having won the toss on a favourable track, English batting card made a miserable reading with only Morgan (76) himself along with James Taylor (60) showing some resistance before being bundled out for a lowly 216.
"We were looking at a minimum of 250 but getting there obviously wasn't easy on this type of wicket. We have to reassess that quickly," Morgan said afterwards."Probably after 20 overs, the ball started to hold up and grip more than it did in the previous few overs."
Pakistan too made a shaky start at 41 for 3 before opener Mohammad Hafeez hit a match-winning 102 not out to help his team chase down the target in 43.4 overs.
Praise for rookie bowler
"I think probably the big positive was having Pakistan at the same position at the halfway mark, and credit to the bowlers to get us in that position," said Morgan, praising rookie speedster Topley who grabbed 3 for 26.
"He is a big asset for long-term. He is certainly somebody that we are looking at to nurture, particularly with his white-ball skills and he is very good for a 21-year-old," said Morgan.
The final two ODIs will be played in Sharjah (November 17) and in Dubai (November 20), ahead of a three-match Twenty20 series.
Younis bows out
The match also marked the final One-Day International in prolific Pakistan batsman Younis Khan’s career, who had earlier announced about this being his last one-dayer.
In 264 ODI matches, Khan amassed 7,240 runs. The former captain has managed to score seven hundred and 48 half-centuries, in his long career. However, his ODI form saw a dip after 2008, when he failed to score runs regularly and was sidelined from the team on many occasions.
"I am really pleased to announce that today I’m retiring from ODI cricket after deliberation with my family, wife, and close friends. I feel satisfied and grateful to Almighty for showering numerous blessings on me. It is one of his great blessings that I, by my own will, have taken this decision to retire from ODI cricket after having retired from T20 cricket already," he told reporters.