Morgan: Nobody’s place is guaranteed - not even mine

Eoin Morgan insists he would not think twice about dropping himself if it helped England’s chances of winning the World Cup.

As captain Morgan has spearheaded England’s shift from also-rans at the 2015 tournament to top of the rankings ahead of next summer’s edition on home soil, and is the country’s top scorer in one-day cricket with 5,618 runs.

Despite his considerable position of strength, the Dubliner has made it clear that nobody should consider themselves certainties over the next eight months.

Speaking ahead of England one-day series against Sri Lanka, Morgan said: “When you drop yourself as captain it almost sets that example, that nobody’s place is cemented in this side.

“If I’m not supposed to be in the team I’ll be the first one to say it. If it means making a tough decision I’m more than capable of doing that.

“It’s a brave call, but we’ve come a long way with this team. We need to put ourselves in the best position in order to be contenders. If that means I’m not good enough to be in the team, both as a captain or as a player... I’m a pretty honest guy.”

Morgan attracted criticism from some, including former skipper Michael Vaughan, when he stepped aside from a Twenty20 decider against South Africa in 2017 to take a look at the likes of Liam Livingstone and Dawid Malan.

The 32-year-old, though, is clear that he must continue putting the greater good first.

“In the past I’ve dropped myself to create opportunities for guys in order to see if they can play at international level or give them an extra chance to prove themselves,” he said.

“We’re trying to build a squad of 16 or 17 guys to win the World Cup, that’s the objective.

“It’s not an individual trying to get runs, not an individual trying to get wickets.

“It’s a team collective and everyone needs to buy into it.”