Eoin’s Purfect return

SKIPPER BLASTS AWAY DOUBTERS

EOIN MORGAN will cap his rehabilitation from a self-imposed exile if he can claim England’s first series win of the winter in Nagpur today.

The gambling, gung-ho Anglo-Irishman has long insisted that his decision not to tour Bangladesh on safety grounds would have no bearing on his position within the team.

But even Morgan understood that his authority as captain would diminish unless he returned and let his bat do the talking.

He had given the likes of Ben Duckett and Sam Billings the chance to show what they could do along with Jos Buttler as captain, and now it was up to him to reassert his place at the helm of the team.

And after scores of 102, 43 and 51 in his last three knocks, England lead the three-match T20 series 1-0 and Morgan has silenced doubts about his batting prowess and reaffirmed his leadership credentials.

“Everything he does and tries to implement in the team we try and follow,” said bowler Chris Jordan (with Morgan, right). “You can’t pick a better person to drive a positive, aggressive mindset.

“He’s a leader and we follow him in everything that he does. He leads from the front in his language and his body language and we follow suit.”

Eng land chie f Andrew Strauss is committed to Morgan leading the short-form sides through to the World Cup in 2019.

And Jor d a n added: “You can see that with both the personnel and the way we play our cricket – it’s very aggressive and on the front foot. I think that stems from the captain.

“He encourages us to take the positive option because he believes in the long run the more games we play that way will get us the best possible results.”

England’s run to the final of the World T20 in India last April was an example of the rewards on offer by following Morgan’s lead.

Expect more of the same when they go for a first- ever global 50- over crown in the Champions mpions Trophy at home in June.une.