Morgan welcomes new Royal London One-Day Cup format

Eoin Morgan has welcomed the rejigged county structure in 2017 that will see all group games in the Royal London One-Day Cup completed before the Champions Trophy begins on 1 June.

That should mean a host of in-form players jostling for places in the squad and ready-made replacements who can be drafted in should there be injuries.

“I think we’ve got the schedule right, I think we’ve got it spot on,” Morgan told ecb.co.uk.

“The senior team play five ODIs before the Champions Trophy and the blocked Royal London One-Day Cup right before gives us the best option of producing the best team to win the Champions Trophy. 

“It allows us to cope with every circumstance. If we have injuries the replacement can come straight out of the Royal London One-Day Cup, in form - it’s ideal. 

“It’s not just for the Champions Trophy - it could be the same for the World Cup in 2019.”

The new-look county season allows both the Royal London One-Day Cup and the NatWest T20 Blast to be played in a block, reducing the amount of times players have to change disciplines.

The top two teams in each group will automatically quality for the semi-finals, while those sides finishing second and third in both the South and North groups will battle it out in the last eight. 

The final will be held at Lord’s on 1 July.

“50-over cricket has moved on since the 2015 World Cup, having the Royal London One-Day Cup grouped together like it is this year will play to our advantage,” Morgan reiterated.

“I think the standard will be raised - the quality of bowling in particular will be raised. 

“It adds a certain dynamic because it doesn’t have to be played on a completely flat track where the bowlers are ineffective and it’s just a batsman’s game.”

Warwickshire begin their defence of the Royal London One-Day Cup on Thursday with an away game at Northamptonshire.

Between then and England’s first Champions Trophy clash with Bangladesh on June 1, at the Kia Oval, Morgan’s men play Ireland twice, then South Africa three times.

And by the time England’s campaign to go one better than 2013, when they were beaten in the final by India, a total of 144 games will have been completed in the Royal London.

“I think it will add more to the competition to play it in a block and we have got the carrot of, potentially if someone gets injured, being called up - that’s something we haven’t had in a long time,” Morgan explained.

“If you’re selecting a team and your best player goes down or somebody in a key position like an all-rounder goes down particularly in white ball cricket you’re always picking somebody from white ball cricket.

“You can pull up whatever stats you want but ideally this is the format and the schedule that you want. 

“We’ll be able to work out who is in prime form at the right times. It’s so much more relevant than championship form.”