Morgan flies to the rescue for England

IF you can’t beat them join them is the message from England as they called up Dublin’s Eoin Morgan into their World Cup squad yesterday as a replacement for the injured Kevin Pietersen – just days after suffering defeat at the hands of the Irish.

Morgan, regarded as England’s top one-day batsman, thought he had missed out on the showpiece in the sub-continent after breaking a finger on England’s tour of Australia in January. However, the injury has healed quicker than expected and he has been summoned to replace Pietersen, who will now return home to undergo hernia surgery.

An alumnus of Dublin’s Catholic University School, Morgan played for Ireland at the 2007 World Cup but switched to England in 2009 after developing his game with Middlesex. He has also starred in the lucrative Indian Premier League with Bangalore Royal Challengers.