Morgan says blaming The Hundred for Ashes humiliation is 'laughable'
What's the story
England's limited-overs skipper Eoin Morgan has come hard on the critics of The Hundred for blaming the format for England's recent Ashes humiliation Down Under. He said that the insinuation of white-ball cricket in taking precedent over the red-ball format is 'laughable'. Morgan's remark came after Joe Root requested the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to 'prioritize' the Test team.
Context
Why does it matter?
It seems England's recent 0-4 drubbing in Ashes have pitted the English team's Test and white-ball skippers against each other. The much-talked-about controversy started after Root implied that ECB has been too much focused on white-ball cricket since 2015. In response, Morgan said that the Test team has always been the priority and those blaming the limited-overs format for Ashes debacle "don't watch cricket".
Statement
What did Joe Root say?
"There are certain things that definitely need to change," Root told reporters after England lost the fifth Ashes Test in Hobart. "We've got an opportunity to really prioritise test cricket off the back of this and make a real significant change to the game and prioritise this team. Let's hope that happens in due course," the England Test captain added.
Words
Eoin Morgan's reaction to Root's assessment
"People that use that as an excuse don't watch cricket," Morgan told talkSPORT. "Test match cricket has always been the priority: it's the format for our elite players. Obviously, times at the moment have been tough down in Australia during the Ashes, they always are: we've lost the last two series 5-0 and it's no surprise that Australia are good at home," he added.
Details
'The Hundred is an unbelievable success'
Morgan also backed ECB's newest format The Hundred, saying it is "an unbelievable success." He went on to say that England's lack of preparation going into the series due to rain was another reason behind their dismal run. Comparing England and Australia's domestic structure, Morgan said that they are exactly the same as they are "structured" in the same manner.
Series
How did England fare in Ashes?
England lost the 2021-22 Ashes series 0-4. Australia humbled England by nine wickets in the first game at Gabba. They hammered the visitors by 275 runs in pink-ball Test in Adelaide. Australia won the Boxing Day Test by an innings and 14 runs. England drew the Sydney Test. Australia won the fifth and final Test at Hobart by 146 runs.
Schedule
What's next for the England team?
Following the conclusion of Ashes 2021-22, England will next take on West Indies in a five-match T20I series. The opening match of the T20I series will be played on Saturday at the Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados. The next four games will be played on January 23, 26, 29, and 30 respectively at the same venue.