This was long overdue, but does it come on a right time? Only time will tell. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has removed Alastair Cook from the helm of English cricket and appointed Eoin Morgan as the skipper of the side for the forthcoming World Cup 2015.
Cook had a turbulent time as a limited-overs skipper, having lost the ODI series against India and then to Sri Lanka. ECB decided not only to relieve him from captaincy duties, but also axed him from the 15-member World Cup squad. He, however, will continue to lead England in Tests.
“We spent a considerable time yesterday discussing the make-up of a squad that gives England the best possible chance of success at the World Cup which begins in less than two months,” James Whitaker, National Selector, said.
“Having reviewed the recent series against Sri Lanka we came to the conclusion that there was no place for Alastair Cook amongst our strongest 15 one-day players and therefore recommended Eoin Morgan be appointed one-day captain,” he added.
Removing Cook will not solve England’s worries in the limited-overs format with the World Cup is just a couple of months away. Is Morgan a right candidate to lead the side? England will have answer to his question when they face Australia and India in tri-series next month.
There is a debate on why Cook was included for the ODI series against the Islanders when he was to be axed from the side, as this has robbed Alex Hales seven games in the series, which could have proved vital for him in the World Cup starting from February 14.
Morgan, quite rightly, is delighted to be named the captain of the side. The Dublin-born started his international career with Ireland but soon joined England national team and become an integral member of the squad.
The former Ireland international, meanwhile, insisted that the current players are capable of turning England into a competitive one-day side.
“It is a huge honour to captain England and I am delighted to be leading the one-day side,” Morgan said. “I firmly believe that with the players currently involved in the one-day set up we have the makings of a very good one-day side, a young side that can surprise people at the World Cup.”
“We all recognise we still have a lot of work to do on our one-day game but the potential of this group of players is huge and it is now up to us as players to turn that potential into consistent performances on the international stage starting next month against Australia and India,” he added.
