Sidebottom: ‘Morgan can be England’s greatest ever captain’

Eoin Morgan could lay claim to being English cricket's best ever captain if he lifts the Twenty20 World Cup, according to former team-mate Ryan Sidebottom.

Morgan's modest form with the bat has attracted plenty of attention of late, with the 35-year-old suggesting he could even drop himself if it benefited the team, but he remains among the most respected leaders in the global game.

When it comes to the question of England's greatest skipper there are several familiar answers - be it Mike Brearley or Michael Vaughan, Douglas Jardine or Sir Andrew Strauss - but all built their legacy in Test cricket.

Morgan's brief flirtation with that format ended almost a decade ago but his stewardship of the white-ball side has been remarkable, transforming them from also-rans to 50-over world champions and the ICC'S top-ranked T20 team heading into the current tournament.

Sidebottom was a key part of the side that won the competition in 2010, alongside a young Morgan, and he believes a repeat performance would put the Dubliner top of the pile.

"Arguably he would be the greatest captain England has ever had, in terms of success on a global level and what he has brought to the England unit," Sidebottom explained.

"All of those great captains were fantastic man managers and that's the beauty of Morgy, he gets the best out of every single player. You can clearly see they love playing for him. He knows them inside out, howtheyfeelonthedayand what they need at any time.

"You can see what a calming influence he is - never gets flustered, never shakes his head or shrugs his shoulders. He's always cool under pressure, no matter what, and I think that rubs off on his bowlers particularly.

"When you've got a captain who backs you it just means so much to a player, whether it's your first game or your 100th. He speaks very, very well, he knows how he wants his players to be perceived and there's his batting style. With everything he brings to the table, could he be the greatest captain England has had? Most definitely."