T20 World Cup 2021: "Even if he is not getting any runs, he plays and captains" - Nasser Hussain backs Eoin Morgan to do well at the ICC event
Former England captain Nasser Hussain is not in favour of Eoin Morgan removing himself from playing eleven in the T20 World Cup because of his poor form with the bat. He feels the southpaw will have a lot to contribute as a leader in the ICC event.
While speaking on Sky Sports, the cricketer-turned-commentator suggested that England must take the field with Eoin Morgan, irrespective of his underwhelming batting performances in recent times. Hussain believes the left-hander is a unique player who can shine at the showpiece event.
He also pointed out how the Kolkata Knight Riders struggled to perform consistently in the first half of this year's Indian Premier League. Morgan was instrumental in his side staging a miraculous turnaround in the UAE and reaching the final, as per Hussain.
Here's what Hussain said:
"Morgan plays and captains. Even if he is not getting any runs, he plays and captains. He is a unique, streaky player who could turn up at the tournament and absolutely smash it."
Hussain added:
"You only need to look at the IPL final to see how important captaincy is. Morgan and MS Dhoni - two of the greatest white-ball captains there have ever been. Kolkata were a shambles in the first leg of the IPL season but Morgan dragged them up into a final."
Under the leadership of Eoin Morgan, KKR played exceptional cricket in the second half of IPL 2021 to secure a place in the final. While he received appreciation from all quarters for his exemplary leadership, his batting woes also garnered a lot of attention.
The white-ball veteran managed to amass just 137 runs from 17 matches in the latest edition of the cash-rich league at a disappointing average of 11.08. He also surprisingly had an unimpressive strike rate of 95.68 in the season.
"We know how ruthless Morgan can be" - Nasser Hussain
While Dawid Malan holds the top spot in the ICC's Player Rankings for batsmen in T20Is, his ordinary scoring rate has come under the scanner on many occasions. Hussain believes Morgan is a ruthless captain and one should not be surprised if he drops Malan from the playing eleven.
Hussain noted how Morgan has been ruthless in the past by dropping the likes of David Willey and Alex Hales. However, he added that Malan does deserve a chance at No. 3 for England, considering his superlative performances in the format. He said:
"I think Malan has earned the right to be given first dibs at the No. 3 role but we know how ruthless Morgan can be. You only need to ask David Willey, who was left out ahead of the 50-over World Cup, or Alex Hales, who Morgan says has broken trust. Can he say to the No. 1 batter in the world, 'We are going in a different direction?' He can be ruthless and he will be."
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England are slated to open their T20 World Cup 2021 campaign on October 23. Eoin Morgan's side will battle it out against defending champions West Indies in their opening clash of the tournament at the Dubai International Stadium.