Morgan left to sweat on place for tour of Sri Lanka
AFTER salvaging some pride in the abbreviated formats of the game in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in recent weeks England will turn their attentions back to Test cricket when the squad for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka is named today.
Struggling batsman Eoin Morgan failed to enhance his hopes of maintaining a place in the team ahead of next month’s trip abroad after his miserable tour of the United Arab Emirates ended with another failure yesterday.
The Middlesex left-hander has been an ever present in the Test side following the retirement of Paul Collingwood at the end of the 2010 Ashes series, but in 17 innings in all three formats of the game against Pakistan he managed a top score of just 31.
The 25-year-old’s Test average, meanwhile, is on the verge of dipping below 30 having struggled to cope with Pakistan’s spin attack and with conditions certain to be similar in Galle and Colombo, England may well look to promote Essex’s Ravi Bopara.
Head coach Andy Flower notified the players of their selection following last night’s thrilling five-run win over Pakistan which clinched the Twenty20 series.
Tim Bresnan, who missed the Test whitewash against Pakistan with an elbow injury is certain to be included, but fellow seamer Chris Tremlett will miss out due to a back injury.