EOIN MORGAN SPEAKS
Morgan enjoys team support despite giving Bangladesh tour a miss
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"It was a difficult decision to make and I don't think a lot of people would have made it," said Morgan. © Getty
Eoin Morgan, who is set to return for the One-Day International (ODI) leg of England's tour of India, doesn't lament his decision of missing the tour of Bangladesh in October this year on security grounds. Alex Hales was the other man to skip the tour, despite Reg Dickason, England's head of security giving the tour a go-ahead.
Speaking on the subject for the first time, Morgan appeared to be at peace with his decision, despite it drawing strong criticism from all quarters. Former England skippers, Nasser Hussain and Michael Vaughan were critical in their remarks while questioning if the ODI skipper was the perfect man to lead the side in difficult times.
"It was a difficult decision to make and I don't think a lot of people would have made it, but I am certainly happy with the decision that I have made," Morgan reasoned.
"We're a tightly-knit group who back each other's decisions no matter what and in particular in this case where every decision for the individual was his own decision and whatever was right for him. Everyone within the game that I trust has supported me, including players past and current who I lean on for big decisions," added the limited-overs specialist.
Morgan, who will play in the Big Bash League (BBL) before jetting off to India, exuded confidence while speaking about the respect and faith he enjoys within the team. He also reiterated that only the team and the management that mattered to him and not the 'noises' that emanate from the outside.
"I think his doubts were similar to mine, but I didn't speak to him directly," said Morgan, when asked about his interaction with Alex Hales, who too had pulled out of the tour citing similar concerns. "It was a completely individual decision, and part of me making it and going with what I felt was right was not to influence anybody in the wrong way.
"If I'd have toured and gone against my gut because I thought there was some need to captain the side out there, then it might have influenced somebody like him. He might have been afraid to make the decision if everybody else was going, or felt unnecessary pressure," said the left-hander.
Morgan's fears came from his two previous unsavoury experiences in the sub-continent. There was a bomb blast during his time at the Indian Premier League in 2010 and a period of great political unrest while playing domestic cricket in Bangladesh in 2013. England were also the first team to tour Bangladesh, following the terrorist attack in Dhaka, in the month of July. That after Australia had called off their series in 2015.
"If there is ever a doubt in my mind about travelling somewhere I have to consider my options. One thing that had changed from 2010 in India was that other teams had travelled there and security had increased. Also, since then there had been no terrorist attacks or threats to either a tournament or team
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