Eoin Morgan: Geoffrey Boycott criticises England captain's batting

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Eoin MorganImage source, AFP
Image caption,

Eoin Morgan has made 3,104 runs in 104 ODI innings at 36.51 for England

2015 World Cup

Dates: 13 February - 29 March Hosts: Australia & New Zealand

BBC coverage: Live radio and text commentary of every match on BBC Radio 5 live or sports extra, plus BBC Sport website on desktop, tablet, mobile and app

Eoin Morgan's batting is no match for the world's best bowlers, says ex-England batsman Geoffrey Boycott.

England one-day international captain Morgan has struggled to score runs in the build up to the World Cup.

Morgan, 28, played down concerns about his own form after he made a duck in Wednesday's warm-up loss to Pakistan.

"I don't think he's as good as he thinks he is, and I don't think he's as good as some people say he is," Boycott told BBC Radio 5 live.

Media caption,

Cricket World Cup 2015: England's one-day woes explained

Boycott's full interview was broadcast in BBC Radio 5 live's Cricket World Cup preview programme from Melbourne on Thursday.

Morgan, who replaced Alastair Cook as England's ODI captain in December, has been dismissed for less than 20 in nine of his last 11 ODI innings.

Boycott, who played 108 Tests and 36 ODIs for England between 1964 and 1982, claims the left-handed batsman cannot handle the best bowlers in the world and said his batting is "not as good as he thinks".

"When he had Mitchell Johnson up against him he looked a selling plater,, external" the 74-year-old said.

"When top-class bowlers bowl against him he's not so clever and that's a big problem."

Morgan under the microscope

After making 121 against Australia on 16 January, England captain Eoin Morgan scored 0, 2 and 0 in his last three innings in the tri-series, and another duck against Pakistan - with two "did not bats" in the same period

Boycott added: "I think you need to look at when you score runs, in any form of cricket, against what the quality of the opposition is, and what state of the game it is.

"If you get runs against moderate bowlers when the team is doing well, I think my mother could get a few of them!"

Morgan: Only five games ago I made a ton

Dublin-born Morgan, who has made 3,104 runs in 104 ODI innings for England at an average of 36.51, says he is "not really concerned" about his own form.

"I've had a couple of low scores, but will look to cash in on Saturday if I get past 10 or 20 balls," Morgan said.

"It's only five games ago that I scored a hundred, so I don't have to look that far back to reconnect with what works well for me."

England have a poor recent record in ODIs against the Aussies down under, having lost 13 of their past 15 ODIs.

But Morgan bullishly suggested England could upset the co-hosts on Saturday and go on to win the tournament.

"Given the freedom that we are trying to play with, if we play our best cricket on Saturday, we will win," he told Test Match Special.

"It's not too much of a stretch. We are more than capable of winning this World Cup.

"We are very dangerous, an emerging, young side with a lot of talent."

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