Chronicle Editor
PUNE — England’s three one-day internationals against India starting later today will be a fresh opportunity for players to make the case for World Cup places this year, skipper Eoin Morgan said.
England lost a hard-fought Twenty20 series against India 3-2.
But Morgan and coach Chris Silverwood say the tour is still providing valuable lessons about the tough conditions in the country where the T20 World Cup will be staged in October-November.
And more will be learned from the ODIs in Pune, said to the captain.
“Given the World Cup round the corner, playing any international cricket at all is a huge opportunity for guys who have been on the fringes and not made selection so far,” Morgan told reporters.
The 50-over games will be an “important building block for our squad”.
But Morgan said Sam Billings, Liam Livingstone and Moeen Ali will all be in contention for a place in the team to be announced ahead of the first match. England are reigning 50-over champions and Morgan said they must prove their worth on the hard, dusty wickets.
“The challenge for us is always trying to explore and push the limits as much as we can given the conditions,” said Morgan.
“In conditions that are little bit alien to us naturally, like India, it’s always nice to get out of your comfort zone and learn more about your team and your players to try and make mistakes and learn from them.” — BBC Sport
Online Reporter