Morgan proud to lead England

By Russell Staves

Eoin Morgan, speaking exclusively to ecb.co.uk, says leading England at next year’s World Cup will be a "huge honour".

The Middlesex star, who is about to start playing for Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League, was named as captain after the England selectors decided to replace Alastair Cook.

“It’s been a long day, an interesting day, which started early this morning,” Morgan explained.

“I had 20 missed calls from (National Selector) James Whitaker– I thought I better give him a ring. I called him back and he said ‘we’d like to offer you the captaincy’.

“I was delighted to be asked. Being offered the captaincy is awesome. It was nice to wake up to a call to say you are England captain.

“It’s a huge honour to lead an extremely talented group of guys during a really exciting period, with a tri-series against Australia and India and then the World Cup.”

Morgan has led England on eight occasions in one-day internationals, with the most recent being in Colombo a fortnight ago.

“I really enjoy being captain,” he added. “It puts a lot more onus on your performance, your contribution to the team and your tactics as the game unfolds – those are things I really enjoy.

“As captain, I want to keep things simple and honest. I don’t have a huge amount of time to influence the side but my main aspirations for the group are to take advantage of them being naturally hard-working and skilful.”

Morgan admits he has been short of runs although he hopes the added responsibility of being captain will help him rediscover his form.

His one innings of note in Sri Lanka – 62 from 47 deliveries in the fourth ODI– came when he has replaced the suspended Cook.

“Getting that score when I was captaining the side in Sri Lanka does give me a little bit of confidence,” he said.

Great to be back in Sydney. I love this city. Looking forward to catching up with @ThunderBBL boys.

— Eoin Morgan (@Eoin16) December 18, 2014

“The most important thing for me is to get back to my best. If I can then it will help us do well at the World Cup.

“In the games and series in which I have captained, the responsibility has helped my game. It’s been a nice distraction that has worked well in the past.

“It’s a responsibility I really enjoy.”

There were positive signs in Sri Lanka, particularly during the victories in Hambantota and Kandy, but each of those performances was followed by defeat – erratic displays the new captain wants to stamp out.

“The potential with the guys is really exciting. We need to start producing consistent performances and if we do then we could be on the cusp of doing something very special.

“Having had a couple of days to reflect on our performances in Sri Lanka I think we can be optimistic ahead of the World Cup. Sri Lanka is a difficult place and I think the two wins there will hold us well.

“We have gone away from the traditional type of cricket we’ve played in the past and replaced it with a more expansive style. The signs in Sri Lanka from the batting unit were good and the players have belief in the style that we want to play.

“The challenges for the bowlers, of facing the likes of Sangakkara, Jayawardene and Dilshan, will be experiences they can draw on during the World Cup.”

Morgan’s first task will be the Tri-Series where England will face Australia and India.

“It’s going to be a great test to see how quickly we can adapt and whether we can continue to play the positive style of cricket we’ve shown in the last four or five months,” he said.

This is England's 15-man squad for the #CWC15https://t.co/zYP4v6Qc3w

— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) December 20, 2014

“The squad has gone through a transitional period, especially batting as a unit, and I think we’ve made major strides in the way we want to play.”

Morgan admitted that England’s first game of the World Cup – against Australia in front of 90,000 screaming fans at the MCG – will require another facet of his captaincy.

“That game will be a huge spectacle – England v Australia at the MCG. It’ll be something I’ll remember for a long time.

“It’ll be my job to make sure the players are as relaxed as possible. Hopefully we can make it a game to remember.

“I’m not looking too far ahead. The main focus is the Tri-Series and the hard work we will have to put in.”

One man’s joy at being named captain contrasted with another man’s pain at losing the position and Morgan was sympathetic towards the outgoing captain.

“I spoke to Cooky this morning,” he said. “It was a really tough day for him. We get on really well and I have a tremendous amount of respect for him. He has wished (Head Coach) Peter Moores and I well for the World Cup. There are no hard feelings.”