ODI series an opportunity for the guys on the fringes to push their case: Eoin Morgan
England skipper Eoin Morgan has remarked that the upcoming ODI series against India is an opportunity for youngsters and fringe players to push their case forward for other formats.
With the ongoing Test Championship and two back-to-back World Cups in line for the next couple of years, the one-day format has been struggling for some space of its own.
The three-match ODI series between Virat Kohli and Eoin Morgan's men, which starts on Tuesday (March 23), will be played against this backdrop.
In a press conference ahead of the opening encounter, Eoin Morgan tried to imbue some relevance to the series. He argued that the series will allow players who missed out on the T20Is to make a mark.
Eoin Morgan added that his team would love to collect some crucial World Super League points as well.
"No, not at all [ODI series being a consolation prize]. I think given the World Cup is around the corner, playing any international cricket at all is a huge opportunity for guys who have been here and been on the fringes and not made the selection so far. When you score runs or take wickets away from home, it's always a huge incentive to try and push your case forward. On top of that, we have World Super League points at stake in order to qualify for the next World Cup. It's quite some time away but our plans for that are always in place," said Eoin Morgan.
The 'fringe' players referred to here by Eoin Morgan include swashbuckling batter Liam Livingstone, who flaunts a strike-rate of 138.15 in the Big Bash League, Sam Billings and all-rounder Moeen Ali.
Much to the chagrin of many English pundits, Ali sat out the last two Tests of the four-match series and the complete T20I rubber. He is expected to return to the side in ODI games as an off-spinner and a handy lower-order batsman.
We have an extremely strong squad irrespective of the format: Eoin Morgan
Speaking further, Eoin Morgan exuded confidence in his team's bench strength and added that England won't 'compromise' their performance in the series.
"The 50-over format, at the moment the role it is playing in between the two T20 World Cups is a building block for our squad. It's about not compromising performances at all. We feel we have an extremely strong squad outside our final eleven regardless of the format," the 34-year-old said.
Pune's Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium will host all three games from 1:30 pm IST. The second and third games will be played on March 26 and March 28 respectively.