Morgan backs Hales for ODI graduation

England

Eoin Morgan believes Alex Hales has all the required skills to be able to successfully adapt his powerful Twenty20 batting for the one-day international format.

Team-mate Eoin Morgan has suggested batsman Alex Hales be added to England's ODI squad ahead of a testing five-match series against Sri Lanka this month.

Morgan was named Twenty20 International captain in the absence of the injured Stuart Broad for Tuesday's one-off fixture against the same opposition at The Oval in London, where the English slipped to a nine-run defeat.

Hales, who scored a match-winning century against the Sri Lankans in the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh earlier this year, orchestrated a quickfire half-century. The innings was a single highlight amid a string of lows for the hosts.

"Again Hales' continued form in international cricket has been brilliant. I can't see why not he can't be in the ODI squad. It's the new way of getting your way in, how modern cricketers start – in Twenty20 and move in from there," said Morgan. "There's certainly no reason why not if he applies himself in the right way."

England debuted two players on Tuesday. While batsman Michael Carberry managed just seven runs and dropped a catch, left-arm seamer Harry Gurney bowled four economical overs – and removed the dangerous Tillakaratne Dilshan and Lahiru Thirimanne.

"Harry had a great debut. He showed great clarity of thought and a great level of skill – especially against Thisara Perera, who is capable of smashing the ball to all parts at the end," added Morgan.

"He has shown great skill at the death today, and done that at Notts for quite some time. He's got something different. It used to be Jade Dernbach who had something different in our team, and that worked for a while. Now it's Harry."

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