England limited overs captain Eoin Morgan insists he is not worried about missing premier strike bowlers Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad for the Royal London One Day Series – not while he has Steven Finn around.
Anderson and Broad both played crucial roles as England retained the Ashes, combining for 31 wickets despite the former sitting out the final two Tests through injury.
Broad stole the show with figures of nine for 24 in the fourth Test, but Morgan will have neither bowlers available to him for the Royal London One-Day Series against the Aussies, the first clash taking place on Thursday.
But Finn will be handed a white ball and after taking 14 Ashes wickets, including eight in Birmingham, Morgan is not worried about a toothless England attack – far from it.
“I think for a long time now we have relied on Jimmy and Broady and this summer, given it’s an Ashes summer, gives a great opportunity for the guys to lead the attack.
“Steve Finn has done that and its going to be another big challenge playing against the world champions.
“But certainly I have loved what I have seen so far and I have belief that Steve can carry that form over and star with the white ball.
“We are playing against the world champions which is going to be a difficult task to beat them, but what’s most important is that we need to focus on what we need to do as a side.
“And I think if we get the most out of ourselves as individuals I think we will flourish as a team because we have some very exciting talents within the side and we have only scratched the surface with what we have seen in the New Zealand series with some of the guys talent because we have watched them in county cricket for two or three years.
“If they can take half of what they produce in county cricket onto the international stage then I think we will do really well.”
After a disastrous 50-over World Cup, England reinvented their game during the recent Royal London One Day Cup against New Zealand; not only winning the series 3-2 but also delivering a newfound brand of attacking cricket.
In some quarters, pundits believe the feel good factor created by Morgan and his team against the Kiwis had played a big role in England taking momentum and confidence into the successful Ashes Test series against Australia.
A number of new faces put their hands up for selection during that series as England decided to rest the likes of Anderson, Broad and Ian Bell in one day cricket against New Zealand.
In Monday’s T20 victory against the Aussies, all-rounders Moeen Ali and Ben Stokes stole the show and Morgan is convinced his team is fast developing into a feared and tough opponent in the One Day game – something Finn can be a part of in the future.
“As I said before, it’s all about us as a side, we have started to turn things around and play an aggressive brand of cricket,” added Morgan.
“It’s all about us as a side, we have started to turn things around and play an aggressive brand of cricket.”
“I think the challenge for us is going to be maintaining that. I think one way of maintaining it and the only way I want to maintain it, is to keep pushing ourselves to want to improve and to put the opposition under pressure at all times and try and build something.
“When you try to improve something and you already have a good thing, I think holding onto it is the worst thing that you can do.
“The aim is certainly to test their boundaries this series, is going to be a challenge for us but one we’re relishing.
“I think the recent Ashes Test series was exceptional, both as a spectator and a player.
“I appreciated everything the English test team was about, they embodied passion, character and that culminated into a fantastic series win. It makes me very proud to put the England shirt back on next week and we now want to take that on.”
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