Friday, 29 March 2024
Morgan, Hales opts out of B'desh tour

Morgan, Hales opts out of B'desh tour

England one-day captain Eoin Morgan and opening batsman Alex Hales have opted out of October's tour of Bangladesh because of security concerns.

No international side has toured Bangladesh since 20 people were killed in a siege at a cafe in Dhaka in July.

The England and Wales Cricket Board said in August that tour would go ahead following a security review.

Jos Buttler will captain the one-day side, with the squads for the one-day and Test series to be named on Friday.

The tour features three one-day internationals followed by two Test matches.

England director of cricket Andrew Strauss said: "While we understand and respect Eoin and Alex's decision, we are disappointed that they have made themselves unavailable for selection for the Bangladesh tour."

He added that no further withdrawals are expected following "open and honest" discussions with all the players.

England players Stuart Broad, Moeen Ali, Chris Jordan and Liam Dawson have all publicly said they will tour Bangladesh.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has described Morgan's decision as a "huge mistake", while Nasser Hussain, another ex-skipper of the national side, said Morgan "should be with his team".

But team-mate Ben Stokes tweeted his support for both players.

England fly out on 29 September, with the one-day series starting on 7 October and the Test series on 20 October.

They follow that with a tour of India, which begins on 9 November and features five Tests, three ODIs and three Twenty20s.

(BBC News)

Last modified on Monday, 12 September 2016 16:09