"Eoin Morgan's value to the side far outweighs the runs he contributes" - Nasser Hussain
Former England captain Nasser Hussain backed an under-fire Eoin Morgan, saying he wouldn't drop the skipper. Nasser Hussain highlighted that Eoin Morgan's value to England extends far beyond his runs, especially in global tournaments.
Eoin Morgan has faced widespread criticism, mainly due to his woeful form with the bat, aggravated during his IPL 2021 stint with Kolkata Knight Riders. Although the Knight Riders reached the final, the skipper managed only 133 runs at an average of 11.08 in 17 games.
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Yet Nasser Hussain claims England cannot think about leaving Eoin Morgan out, solely based on a lack of runs. Hussain believes England need Morgan's experience and composure in these global competitions.
"I would not advocate going down that route. 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 column for The Daily Mail.
Morgan also declared he is ready to drop himself to help England win the T20 World Cup. However, he admitted that his captaincy hasn't suffered due to his lack of runs.
"My strongest England XI would include Moeen as one of two frontline spinners" - Nasser Hussain
Hussain further said that Moeen Ali is a must-have in the X1 and could play as a floater batsman. The cricketer-turned-commentator wrote:
"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 the fifth bowler. In the batting order, I would have him floating, so if a left-arm spinner came on, he could be sent in early. He has shown great versatility with his recent performances."
The 53-year old feels England's best X1 for the World Cup opener against West Indies must have two frontline spinners. They must also have a third option in Liam Livingstone, who bowls leg-spin.
"My strongest England XI would include Moeen as one of two frontline spinners, plus a third in Liam Livingstone as the sixth bowler — a bit of a gamble if you end up defending a score under the floodlights and the dew takes effect. If the ball becomes a bar of soap and skids on, the batters will love it."
Nasser Hussain's strongest XI for the West Indies game: Jason Roy, Jos Buttler (wk), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Eoin Morgan (c), Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Tymal Mills.