We saw two sensational ODI performances from England in the Netherlands. After hitting a world record 50 out of 498 in the opener, they followed that up with another convincing victory in Amsterdam to seal the series.
But the team’s flying form meant captain Eoin Morgan stood out like a sore thumb, and not in a good way. His back-to-back ducks against an inconsistent Dutch team raised serious doubts about his place in the world-class batting roster.
It is important to separate Morgan the captain from Morgan the cricketer. As captain he was fantastic for the one day team. He helped transform a team that was poor at the 2015 World Cup, into world champions four years later in the most dramatic way.
This day at Lord’s will be the legacy of Morgan’s one-day team and it is unlikely to be beaten for sports drama by an English cricket team of the future. But where does the 35-year-old stand among his peers in 2022?
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The rest of his teammates are right behind him, vehemently. Jason Roy, who received his 100th captain’s pick ahead of the second ODI, believes the selfless batsman puts the team first at every opportunity.
“We won the game so [Morgan] put [the duck] to bed right away. As soon as the result is there, he’s happy,” said Roy, who added that he supported his captain “for sure”.
“He’s the perfect guy to give it [100th cap] up to you,” Roy added. “You are not judged by your cricket in this group, you are judged as a person and the energy you bring, how hard you work. If he continued [speaking] for a minute more, there might have been a tear or two.”
The first ODI scoreboard was an embarrassing read for Roy and Morgan, as three England players went for ages and Liam Livingstone hit an unbeaten 66 from 22 balls. Roy recovered with 73 in game two, but the captain was once again scoreless as his poor form continued.
He has only done half a century in international cricket in the last 18 months, and none in domestic T20 cricket. As others around him thrive, he has suffered following an injury sustained in January and a lack of short-form cricket over the Covid period.
Although games against the Netherlands saw England rid themselves of all cobwebs, the real challenges will come against India and South Africa in July as preparations for the Cup of the world of October intensify. England are currently 3/1 favorites to win their first T20 World Cup since 2010 and Matthew Mott, the new white ball coach, has fully backed Morgan despite his poor form.
“He always says he wants to be a hitter on this team on form and merit all along and when he feels that’s not the case, he steps down,” Mott said in a conference call. Press. “I don’t think it’s far from that.
“Great players go through runs at different times and sometimes you flip a switch and it spins and you wonder what it’s all about. You can tell when he’s talking, everyone’s listening. That leadership is something who is probably not as recognized as much from the outside as he is inside. He has a lot of cricket ahead of him.”
Morgan himself has reflected in recent weeks on his own performance, and with England looking to defend their 50-year crown in India next year, the captain is unsure whether he will still lead the team there. winter 2023.
“It’s far. I have to get to T20 first. I’m going to take it as it comes, manage my contribution, my body. Am I still contributing on and off the pitch, within the team I will be as honest as me [have been] with everyone since I started the captaincy. At the moment, I still feel like I’m contributing and I can contribute to a World Cup victory. It’s a big driver for me.”
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