Morgan hailed as the best ODI skipper ever despite winning nothing... YET

EOIN MORGAN is refusing to get carried away with England’s success in Sri Lanka despite being dubbed the best captain his players have played under. Morgan has not won anything and nobody is more aware of that.

Yet he is on course to overtake Paul Collingwood as the greatest white-ball skipper the country has had. World T20-winning skipper Collingwood remains the only Englishman to lift a global trophy. But Morgan could match him at Lord’s next summer with a World Cup win – something his players think he is capable of after sealing a ninth series win in a row.

“In terms of captaincy he’s probably the best I’ve played under, county or international,” said fast bowler Liam Plunkett, who is set to play in the 5th ODI tomorrow. “He’s always been honest. I’ve asked him questions and he’s never danced around it. He’s said, ‘You are playing’ or, ‘You’re not playing’ or, ‘You need to work on this.’

“He backs you. He’s not a captain where if you get hit into the stands you see him with his head down. He is like, ‘We’ll go again, you can get a wicket’.”

Morgan will have to do without Jonny Bairstow for the remaining ODI and the T20 that follows in Colombo due to his right ankle ligament injury picked up playing football, but it will hardly faze him.

His ice-cool approach to the game is part of what makes him such a good captain.

“He’s amazing,” said Moeen Ali. “When times are tough he’s always calm.

“He is right up there with the best captains I’ve played under – and it’s one of the reasons we are number one in the world.”