With England captain Eoin Morgan making it official that he is unwilling to participate in the upcoming tour of Bangladesh in October, Jos Buttler is expected to be named his replacement for the 3-match ODI series, reports The Telegraph. Buttler is the vice-captain of the side and has led the national team once before, in a T20I against Pakistan last year. Apart from that, however, his only experience in leadership has been in age group cricket and 2nd XI cricket.
Morgan’s decision to pull out of the tour has turned out to be a controversial one, with criticism from several quarters for deserting his side. Alex Hales is the only other England player who is understood to be contemplating withdrawing from the Bangladesh tour. ECB Team Director has given Morgan time until Sunday in an attempt to change his mind, but only a late and unlikely change of heart from Morgan will see Buttler not leading England in Bangladesh.
Morgan is understood to have conveyed his decision to his teammates about a week ago, during the Pakistan series, citing his apprehensions about assurances given on security by Bangladeshi authorities. There have been travel advisories in some countries about travelling to Bangladesh following the terror attack aimed at foreign individuals on 1 July in Dhaka.
Australia pulled out of a tour of Bangladesh last year citing security concerns, and it had been feared that England would do the same. However, after a security and risk assessment review done by the ECB, the green signal was given. Some England players like Moeen Ali and Chris Jordan have spoken about their willingness to travel to Bangladesh, Test captain Alastair Cook is also understood to have agreed to place faith in the security review.
England won 3-0 on their last tour of Bangladesh, but the Tigers have improved by leaps in recent years and are expected to be harder oppositions this time around – especially in the format where England will be led by the 26-year-old Buttler on his maiden full-time assignment.
Morgan’s explanation for skipping tour – criticism of his double standards
Morgan has pointed to past experiences in the subcontinent as to why he is unwilling to be involved with a tour of Bangladesh. He has said previously, “In 2010 we played an IPL game in Bangalore, and a bomb went off in the ground. We immediately left and went straight to the airport.
"Another (instance) was (in) Bangladesh, playing domestic cricket during political elections - where things were incredibly violent."
Jonny Bairstow is expected to be the beneficiary of Eoin Morgan’s absence. If Hales follow suit as well, then Sam Billings and Ben Duckett have a chance of featuring.
Morgan has been criticised heavily in the British media, with one article titled ‘Morgan is letting his country down and gambling with his career’ even pointing out his tendency to desert ships – his defection from Ireland when the pasture seemed greener cited as an example.
Former captain Nasser Hussain has said that the 30-year-old Morgan is likely to lose authority as a result of not participating in the series.
Former England cricketer Derek Pringle put a hole in Morgan’s defence of why he was choosing to skip the tour. He pointed out on Twitter how Morgan’s fear for his personal safety in the subcontinent did not stop him from returning to play in the IPL but was coming in the way with national duties beckoning.
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