Share

Morgan says England could field 2 cricket teams at same time

World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan says he is open to England fielding two teams on the same day at separate venues if the coronavirus outbreak leads to a compressed home international season.

The England Test team, skippered by Joe Root, could face either West Indies or Pakistan, who are both due to arrive for three-match series, while Morgan's white-ball side take on Australia in 50-over and Twenty20 matches scheduled in July.

"I see every option being viable during this extraordinary time," said England limited-overs captain Morgan during a conference call on Wednesday.

"Certainly I've never experienced anything like it and I don't think anyone else has. I think the serious nature of the situation economically and financially for the game is something that we have never come across."

All domestic cricket in England has been postponed until May 28 at the earliest, with the West Indies series still scheduled to start on June 4.

England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Tom Harrison, announcing a £61 million ($76 million) aid package on Monday, said touring international sides were being "very flexible, innovative and massively understanding", with Morgan indicating his teammates would adopt a similar approach.

"Certainly from a players' point of view, we want to do as much as we can to try and keep things going," Morgan said.

"If there's an opportunity to play as much cricket as we can, I'd like to think every player would be behind it. I certainly am.

"But obviously times are still uncertain at the moment... Realistically we can't think about playing, when our first game will be, or how many we will play until the situation is downgraded from a pandemic."

One consolation for Morgan during the outbreak is that the 33-year-old Dublin-born batsman recently became a father after his wife Tara gave birth to a son, Leo.

"My wife gave birth to our first child three weeks ago so we have been preoccupied looking after the baby," said Morgan.

"We've been isolated for a bit longer than anyone else, which is really nice.

"We've been dealt a really good hand when it comes to things that are going on at the moment and have been bunkered away for a while, and haven't been under pressure to go off and play cricket, which has been really nice.

"It's been good fun and a very exciting time for us."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
66% - 509 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
34% - 267 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE