Morgan hails Root’s elevation to Test captaincy

sharjah — England’s ODI and T20 captain Eoin Morgan has hailed Joe Root’s elevation to the England Test captaincy and said that it was a natural progression for the Yorkshire man.

England’s Director of Cricket and former captain Andrew Strauss appointed Root as England’s new Test captain after the 32-year-old Alastair Cook had stepped down.

England all-rounder Ben Stokes takes over as vice captain from Root as they embark on a fresh start following what Cook called “stagnation.”

And Morgan, who has moulded a cracking limited-overs unit, after being at the helm, said Root was the obvious choice and added that he looked forward to seeing the 26-year-old Root lead the Test side.

“I think it’s a great moment,” Morgan said of Root’s appointment, on Friday night.

Morgan was speaking during one of the rain stoppages of the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) match between Peshawar Zalmi and the Quetta Gladiators, at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

“I think he was probably a natural choice. It’s a natural progression from vice-captain to captain and I look forward to watching him lead the side,” he added.

Meanwhile, the 30-year-old Morgan was left surprised by the rain which hit Sharjah on Friday.

“The rain has surprised me a huge amount,” said Morgan.

“The first time I have seen rain in Sharjah. I have been on a couple of tours here. It made me laugh, to be honest. But it is what it is,” he added.

Morgan also spoke in glowing terms about the HBL PSL and said that the standards were top notch.

“The standard of the tournament has been pretty high. Every game has been keenly contested and no one team has dominated. So, that is good for any T20 tournament to have this kind of competitiveness.”

It’s a natural progression from vicecaptain to captain Eoin Morgan talking about Root