Eoin Morgan has cautioned that another massive England World Cup defeat in the Caribbean would be "very, very close" to bringing coach Matthew Mott and captain Jos Buttler's tenure as white-ball leaders to an end.
Six days after the first match was called off at Headingley, England's plans to defend their Twenty20 title were dealt a further blow when the third match of their four-match series against Pakistan washed out in Cardiff.
And there's a potential Buttler's team will depart for Barbados on Friday having only played one match, a 23-run victory at Edgbaston over the weekend, given the unpredictability of the weather for Thursday's series finale at The Oval.
In an attempt to prevent a recurrence of their dismal showing at the 50-over World Cup in India in the fall, England has made great efforts to assemble its 15-man squad ahead of the tournament.
Morgan, who led England to the 50-over title in 2019, responded, “It would be very, very close to [that]. I don’t think that’s being harsh,' when asked if a setback in the West Indies would signal the end of the leadership group. Morgan was speaking to Sky Sports. That is not, in my opinion, severe. Even when I was captain and Trevor Bayliss as a coach, there was a level of expectation on your shoulders, and the quality of players in the domestic game and the changing room at your disposal led to that expectation. We are one of the best countries in the world when it comes to resources and facilities, and we continue to produce brilliant players, I don’t think this squad is any different. Ultimately, your job is to get the best out of your team for the tournament.”
Even though Morgan and Mott collaborated for a short while toward the conclusion of Morgan's captaincy in 2022, Morgan has not backed down from criticism since turning pro.
When assistant coach Carl Hopkinson was sent to speak to the media before a wooden spoon match against the Netherlands in India, he accused Mott and other senior figures of "shirking their responsibilities." He was also dissatisfied with the management's inconsistent messaging throughout the tournament.
Morgan was free to voice his thoughts, Mott stated last week, but he added, “All I’ll say is that only the people within the dressing room can fully understand what’s going on. Once you leave the dressing room, you might hear titbits of stuff, but you don’t know how the team’s operating.” You may hear bits and pieces of information after leaving the dressing room, but you won't truly understand how the squad functions.