CARDIFF: England limited overs captain Eoin Morgan insisted he did the right thing for the team’s “development” by dropping himself for the third Twenty20 international against South Africa at Cardiff yesterday.
Morgan wanted to give another opportunity to middle-order batsman Liam Livingstone who made 16 on debut in England’s three-run defeat at Taunton on Friday, a result that saw South Africa level the series at 1-1.
But Morgan’s absence also paved the way for Dawid Malan to make a debut at number three and his fellow Middlesex left-hander responded with an impressive 78 in a total of 181 for eight after South Africa captain AB de Villiers won the toss and fielded.
During the course of Malan’s 44-ball knock, featuring 12 fours and two sixes, Morgan - watching from the boundary at Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens -- told Sky Sports: “He looks very relaxed.
“He’s been around a long time and scored a lot of runs at Middlesex in all three forms.
“We’ve given him an opportunity today and part and parcel of him developing is taking that opportunity.”