Sluggish Morgan slapped with ban
Captain will miss tomorrow’s game after slow over rate
ENGLAND’S World Cup preparations have been hit by captain eoin Morgan’s suspension from tomorrow’s fourth one- day international against Pakistan at Trent Bridge because of a slow over rate.
england were deemed to have fallen two overs behind schedule during their impressive six-wicket win in Bristol on Tuesday. The ban kicked in because it was Morgan’s second offence in 12 months, following a similar transgression in Barbados in February. The captaincy will pass to Jos Buttler, who sat out the Bristol runfest.
ICC match referee Richie Richardson also took aim at Jonny Bairstow, who angrily hit the stumps with his bat after being bowled for 128.
Bairstow was reprimanded for a Level 1 breach of the code of conduct and issued with a disciplinary demerit point — the first on his record since the code was revised in September 2016.
But it is the absence of Morgan that will most inconvenience england, with only four games left — two of them
warm-ups — before the start of the World Cup on May 30.
‘You don’t want to lose the captain, particularly given the form he’s in,’ said all-rounder Chris Woakes.
‘We need to be quicker with our overs. We can deal with it because we’ve got some exceptional players on the sidelines but Morgs is a huge loss.’ Morgan will have to watch in Nottingham as england, who need to win one of their last two games against Pakistan to clinch the series, look to finalise their World Cup 15 ahead of Tuesday’s squad announcement.
If there was any doubt before the win in Bristol, Woakes can now be inked in to take the new ball after picking up four for 67 in a Pakistan total of 358 for nine. Six team-mates combined to take four for 290. ‘ Safe is probably not the word,’ he said. ‘But you always feel like you need to put in performances and I’m pleased I managed a good one.’
Woakes pulled ahead of england’s other seamers in Bristol as the battle continues to avoid being replaced in the squad by Jofra Archer. And he insisted the presence of Archer had driven the bowlers to up their game at the unattractive prospect of missing a home World Cup.
Woakes said: ‘The batters have set the benchmark over the last few years and there’s always been competition for places there — more so maybe than the bowling,’ he said.
‘This, I suppose, has done the same for the bowlers. It’s always good to have competition.’
Archer could well return in Nottingham, while Durham fast bowler Mark Wood is expected to make his first appearance of the series at a venue renowned for fast scoring.
‘The selectors have got the tough task of making the call,’ said Woakes.
‘Someone, unfortunately, will miss out, but we don’t sit in the dressing room talking about it. everyone knows it’s there and it’s creating a good, competitive edge.’