ENG v PAK 2020: Eoin Morgan says T20I series a big opportunity for England's fringe players

The England captain urged the team's back-up options to make their chances against Pakistan count.

England captain Eoin Morgan tried adding context to the T20I series against Pakistan, saying the absence of the team's regular names has given those on the fringes an excellent opportunity to strengthen their case looking at the period leading into the next year's World Cup in India. 

Given the strenuous Test cricket programme, England continued with the policy of resting Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, and Mark Wood for the summer's limited-overs games. ODI and T20I opener Jason Roy is a forced absentee with his injury. 

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The likes of Tom Banton, Dawid Malan and Lewis Gregory have a good chance to impress the selectors and keep themselves in the reckoning. 

“It gives guys the chance to stake their claim to be in that final 15-man squad for the World Cup next year,” Morgan told reporters ahead of the first of three T20Is in Manchester on Friday (August 28). 

“Given the circumstances surrounding COVID and the restrictions we have selection-wise, this is an opportunity for guys who would potentially sit outside that 15 to try and present their best case for the upcoming winter tours and the World Cup."

“Opportunities like this don’t come around all that often when we have our squad at full strength."

With a calendar schedule affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and requirements for players to quarantine, be ready for the much-prioritised Test match game, Morgan understands England might not always have its best players available playing T20Is in the build to the World Cup in October-November 2021. 

“One of the challenges between now and then is going to be getting our strongest team on the park as often as we can to define their roles,” he said. 

England's last T20I series during the winter tour of South Africa saw the team win the rubber 2-1. Against Pakistan, the former world champions and the No.1 side in the format not so long ago, however, the challenge is expected to be tougher. 

“Pakistan are a very dangerous T20 team and you forget the depth that they have across domestic cricket," Morgan said. “For us, they are always a difficult side to play against because they always have all bases covered."

(Inputs from Reuters)