Morgan feels England has new energy and will be successful

Rory Dollard 09:50 16/03/2016
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  • No fear: Morgan believes his players must play an aggressive brand of cricket during the World T20.

    England captain Eoin Morgan  believes his World Twenty20 squad are a different proposition to the sides that crashed and burned in previous tournaments.

    A first chance to prove the skipper right comes today, with a  Super 10 clash against West  Indies in Mumbai, a game Morgan is

    approaching in good heart.

    He was at the crease when the Three Lions won the competition in 2010, still the country’s only major piece of ICC silverware, but has experienced his fair share of disappointment since.

    A quarter-final exit at the 2011 World Cup has been the side’s next best showing on the global stage, with England outgunned at the next two World T20s and then embarrassingly bundled out of last year’s World Cup at the group stage.

    Of the 15 men on duty in India, six are contesting their first major tournament and just six others were at the last World Cup.

    Coach Trevor Bayliss has favoured younger heads, a blend that enthuses Morgan.

    “I think this feels different,” he said on the eve of match.

    “We’ve a different group of players. It’s a new energy. It’s an exciting time for English cricket given the talent that we have in our group, and the attitude in taking the game to the opposition. It certainly feels different in that regard.

    “I think in this tournament playing an aggressive brand of cricket and being brave, but playing smart cricket along the way, is part and parcel of it.”

    Ten shirts appear to be accounted for in England’s first-choice XI, with the only debate seemingly between Yorkshire pair Liam Plunkett and David Willey for the final seamer’s slot.

    Plunkett would be the closest like-for-like replacement for the absent Steven Finn, whose injury has been a huge blow.

    Meanwhile, West Indies captain Darren Sammy backed Andre Russell to star at the World Twenty20 after reports the all-rounder could face a suspension for missing three drugs tests.

    Russell, 27, could be banned for two years if found guilty by the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission of missing the tests over the past 12 months, recent media reports in Jamaica said.

    “We as a team have supported Russell,” Sammy said.

    “We are confident he will be taking part in the full tournament and having an impact like he’s done in the last four tournaments he’s played (in) around the world,” he added.

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