I still have a lot to offer: Eoin Morgan

GBnews24desk//

Eoin Morgan, England’s limited-overs skipper, said that he still has a “lot to offer” to the white ball sides ahead of the first T20I against New Zealand in Christchurch on Friday.

Morgan, who led England to their maiden 50-over World Cup triumph, was troubled by a back spasm during the course of the tournament. After the completion of the tournament, Morgan had observed that he “needed more time to think” with regard to leading the England side in the T20 World Cup. Eventually, the 33-year-old decided to continue in the role.

The left-handed batsman will hope to kick-start England’s road to the T20 World Cup, with a series win against their opponent in the final of the 50-over World Cup, New Zealand.

“I’m very comfortable with the decision I made,” Morgan told Test Match Special. “I’m delighted that I have made it because I feel it is the right one for myself and my team.

I still feel I have a lot to offer. I won’t say I’ll be finished after the next World Cup as I’d be afraid I’ll only creep over the line and maybe fall off. I don’t want to let anyone down. I want to drive through the World Cup in Australia and then make a call after that.

“There were questions over my fitness and how I would come back and play, but I think that was just lingering in my head because I was back playing county cricket two weeks after the World Cup final, and the decision was almost delayed because I didn’t have time to make it.

“I think if the season had ended after the World Cup final I would have made a decision in a couple of weeks, because once I finished playing for Middlesex, the next year or two became clearer,” he said.

Morgan also had a fruitful partnership with Trevor Bayliss. The captain-coach duo took England from the depths of despair of not progressing to the quarterfinal of the 2015 World Cup to a memorable date at Lord’s when they hoisted the World Cup trophy. In 2016, England also made their way to the final of the World T20 held in India.

However, Bayliss decided to step down from his role at the end of the just-concluded English summer. So, England now embark on a new era with Chris Silverwood, who was the bowling coach during Bayliss’s tenure, taking over as the head coach.

The visitors have also rested a few of their mainstays, with the likes of Saqib Mahmood, Pat Brown, Matt Parkinson and Tom Banton getting picked for the T20I series.

“We have a special group of players at the moment,” noted Morgan. “I feel very lucky to lead that group and I think we can do something even more special down the line.