Publications
Partners
Chittagong - Eoin Morgan's arrival into England's World Cup squad as an emergency replacement for the injured Kevin Pietersen looks set to herald another reshuffle in the batting lineup by coach Andy Flower.
Pietersen played just four matches at opener after replacing Matt Prior in the role, but is returning to Britain to have hernia surgery.
Flower said that Morgan could come straight into the team for Friday's Group B match against tournament co-host Bangladesh. With the coach highlighting Morgan's past contributions at No. 5, Ravi Bopara may move up from the position to open alongside captain Andrew Strauss.
Morgan will only arrive in Chittagong on Tuesday, but Flower said the former Ireland batsman will be ready to play after recovering from the broken finger that caused him to be replaced by Bopara in the original 15-man squad.
"We'll get him straight into the nets," Flower said. "He's a very skillful player and a pretty no-nonsense guy. I can envisage him playing straight away. He's 100 percent fit."
Speaking en route between India and Bangladesh, Flower said Morgan was a good alternative to the ultimately irreplaceable Pietersen.
"They're both world-class performers," Flower said. "Certainly Morgan's contributions to England's limited-overs wins have been significant, most especially since he's batted No. 5 for us.
"One door closes and another opens."
Flower would not confirm which of Bopara, Prior or Ian Bell would open against Bangladesh, who are desperate for victory after losing two of their first three matches, but acknowledged that those were his options.
"We've got a clear idea of who we want for the game against Bangladesh," Flower said. "I don't think it does have to be the same for the rest of the tournament, because opening against Bangladesh requires a different set of skills from opening against Australia."
The left-handed Morgan was initially told he needed surgery on the finger he broke in a one-day international in Adelaide, but the injury healed faster than expected. He follows Australia's Mike Hussey in making it to the tournament as an injury replacement after being originally ruled out injured.
Morgan did not play in the Ashes, and then averaged just 17.66 from six innings with a top score of 30 in the one-day series loss to Australia that preceded the World Cup. But his quick improvisation and ability to change the pace of an innings still make him arguably England's best one-day batsman.
"As the tour wore on, they're quite tricky situations for batsmen who aren't getting a go," Flower said. "You're not in the hurly burly of competition that's keeping you sharp. Then you're thrown into the pressure situation of one-day games, and you get a couple of reasonable balls, maybe make a couple of mistakes, and all of a sudden you're in terrible form, or it's perceived as terrible form.
"I think he's a very skillful player. He keeps things very simple in his own head and I trust him to be OK."
Flower said England had been forced to call upon Morgan after Pietersen felt the pain from his hernia worsen after playing in Sunday's six-run win over South Africa. Team medics had hoped to manage the injury and postpone surgery until after the tournament.
Pietersen faced just three balls and scored two runs before becoming the second opener to fall inside the first over, but bowled eight overs on a spin-friendly pitch to help England successfully defend 171.
Pietersen will be unable to play for the Deccan Chargers despite the team having paid $650,000 for him in the Twenty20 IPL auction, but is scheduled to be fit for England's first summer Test against Sri Lanka starting May 26.
The IPL begins April 8, six days after the World Cup final.
"The IPL will be too soon for him," Flower said. "The guy's got a hernia. I've seen the scan myself and it's very obvious he's got a problem and needs to sort it out. The timing is not ideal."
