Captain Eoin Morgan has publicly revealed a willingness to be sidelined from 2019 World Cup fixtures, if England can benefit from the omission.

Morgan has been the mainstay of the ODI middle-order for several years, but will forego selection if required.

‘It’s a brave call but we’ve come a long way with this team. With the potential, with this World Cup or the next one, we need to put ourselves in the best position in order to be contenders,’ he told Sky Sports.

‘If that means I’m not good enough to be in the team, both as a captain and a player, I’m a pretty honest guy. If I’m not supposed to be in the team I’ll be the first one to say it. If it means making a tough decision I’m more than capable of doing that.’

Morgan has vacated the first-choice XI on previous occasions, affording wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler the opportunity to captain.

‘In the past, I’ve dropped myself to create opportunities for guys in order to see if they can play at international level or give them an extra chance to prove themselves. When you drop yourself as captain it almost sets that example, that nobody’s place is cemented in this side,’ he added.

Batsman Alex Hales’ position in the pecking order is a prime example of England’s bench strength. The hard-hitting right-hander averages almost 40 after 65 ODIs, but is still unable to secure a berth in the first-choice XI.

‘We’re trying to build a squad of 16 or 17 guys to win the World Cup, that’s the objective. It’s not an individual trying to get runs, not an individual trying to get wickets. It’s a team collective and everyone needs to buy into it,’ concluded Morgan.

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