Drop-out Eoin is sure of his own standing

CHRIS STOCKS EOIN MORGAN insists he has no regrets about missing England’s tour of Bangladesh and believes he still retains the full backing of the rest of the players. England’s limited-overs captain refused to travel for his side’s one-day series in the country in October due to security concerns following the ISIS terrorist attack in Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital, in the summer. Morgan and opener Alex Hales were the only players who pulled out of a tour that passed off without incident thanks to a huge security presence that protected the squad. England won the three-match one-day series 2-1 under stand-in captain Jos Buttler. But Morgan is back to lead the side for the limited-overs series in India next month. He said: “I don’t have any regrets, I’m still comfortable with it. I tried to imagine all the different circumstances and didn’t feel comfortable enough in my mind to go.” Morgan had cited past sub-continental security scares, including a bomb blast outside the ground in Bangalore during an Indian Premier League game he was involved in six years ago, as a reason why he missed Bangladesh. But asked why he has since travelled back to play in the IPL four more times, the Dublin-born batsman said: “It was being the first Western team to travel to Bangladesh since the terrorist attack and the fact Australia had pulled out the previous year even before an attack.” However, Morgan is confident he still retains the support of the players despite missing the tour. He said: “We’re a tightly knit group who back each other’s decisions no matter what. “I have had a great deal of support, everyone who I trust has supported me. “It was a difficult decision to make and I don’t think many would have made it but I am certainly happy with it.” For England’s resurgent one-day team, two years away from a home World Cup, it is a big 12 months that includes the Champions Trophy next summer. “It’s a huge year for us,” added Morgan. “I think we have done a lot of things right over the last year or so, it’s a matter of producing them in our own conditions.”