Eoin Morgan insists England coach will challenge players before T20 World Cup

Eoin Morgan was in relaxed mood ahead of the first of England’s three one-day internationals against the Netherlands, which start at Amstelveen on Friday. Buoyant about being back in Amsterdam, where he spent tours with Ireland, and happy to be kicking off the white-ball summer, Morgan is also looking forward to building his relationship with new limited-overs coach Matthew Mott and, together, taking the team towards the T20 World Cup later this year.

England’s captain does not expect Mott to be daunted by leading the 2019 world champions. “One of the attributes when thinking about the future of our white-ball game and what the team require is an experienced coach that brings that hunger for success and isn’t afraid to hold some of the best players in the world accountable in a team environment,” he said.

Morgan kept his team selection powder dry but, in the absence of Trent Bridge rocket launcher Jonny Bairstow, Phil Salt appears likely to partner Jason Roy at the top of the order, with the two sharing a net at practice on Thursday. Jos Buttler – hotfooting it from the Indian Premier League, where he was the competition’s highest scorer – may shuffle up the order while Adil Rashid, who made his T20 international debut during the defeat by the Netherlands at the 2009 World Cup, alongside Morgan, is the only sure thing among a plethora of left-arm seamers.

Despite that great orange victory in 2009, repeated in 2014, Netherlands captain Pieter Seelaar is realistic about his side’s chances this time around. “We’re playing a different format, England at that time was in a different mind space, especially in white-ball cricket, to where they are now,” he said. “If I were to say we were looking to win the series 3-0 I would be