England selectors stick with Morgan, overlook in form Bopara for Test against Pak

LONDON - England’s selectors have decided to retain one-day star Eion Morgan in the squad for the first Test against Pakistan to be played at Trent Bridge from Thursday, overlooking in-form Essex batsman Ravi Bopara.

Bopara hit two centuries in his last county match, but one-day star Morgan has been given another chance to establish himself in Test cricket, the BBC reports.

“Ravi has been in good form, but we have created our quality through consistency and we need to see a more from Eoin,” chief selector Geoff Miller said.

Seamer Ajmal Shahzad was also preferred to fellow Yorkshireman Tim Bresnan, while Graeme Swann and Steven Finn return after being given breaks by the selectors.

Kevin Pietersen is fit to play after not being risked for the one-day series against Bangladesh.

Ian Bell is the only absentee, ruled out for the entire four-Test series with a broken metatarsal.

Morgan, the innovative 23-year-old left-hander, has made two unbeaten centuries and a fifty in 50-over internationals this year and has scored three half centuries in Twenty20 matches for England.

His introduction to Test cricket was less spectacular with scores of 44 and 37 in his first two innings, both against Bangladesh.

However, he showed his powers of resilience with an unbeaten 58 from 137 balls to help Middlesex to a draw with Sussex in the Championship match at Uxbridge on Saturday. (ANI)