Morgan Calls For England Consistency

21 Jun 2016 | Cricket
England\'s ODI captain Eoin Morgan wants his side to perform more consistently, as his young charges look to continue their improvement in the upcoming five-match Royal London Seires against Sri Lanka.

Morgan, who was speaking to the press ahead of the series opener at Trent Bridge (starting this afternoon at 2pm), has seen his side win two 50-over series and lose two since he introduced a new bolder brand of cricket after a disastrous World Cup.

For Morgan, the Sri Lanka series represents the chance to register another series victory.

"We went 2-0 up in South Africa, but lost 3-2. That wasn't through a lack of opportunities," Morgan told BBC Sport.

"We're ranked sixth in the world and that's a reflection of how unpredictable we've been in the last few years."

England will be without influential allrounder Ben Stokes for the series after the Durham man injury his knee in the Test series. And Morgan admitted his absence will be felt.

"It does affect us because Ben bats at five, filling the role of batsman and bowler very well," added batsman Morgan. "We don't have an answer to back-up at the moment, but it does create an opportunity for someone else.

"The wicket may have a little more moisture in it than we think, so that might sway the decision."

Morgan has been away in the IPL and playing for Middlesex while Alastair Cook led England in the three-match Investec Test series.

But the Ireland-born batsman insisted any worries about him form have been put to bed.

"There's no doubt that I struggled in the winter," said the 29-year-old. "The Indian Premier League gave me time to work on my game and since I've come back I feel better than I did in the winter."

England currently hold a 10-2 lead in the inaugral 'Super Seires' after clinching two wins and a draw in the three Tests.

Two points will be awarded to the winners of each of the five ODIs and one Twenty20, meaning England need two more wins for victory in the series.

"The Test boys have been exceptional and made it incredibly difficult for Sri Lanka," said Morgan.

"It's an unbelievable start. Now Alastair Cook hands the baton over to me and hopefully I don't let him down."

Morgan and his England teammates kick off the ODI series at Trent Bridge from 2pm today.

You can still secure your seats for the final match in the series, at The SSE SWALEC, Cardiff on Saturday July 2. Limited tickets are still available by clicking here.