UK press reaction: Former captains slam 'huge mistake'

Former England captain Michael Vaughan says Eoin Morgan has made a "huge mistake" by withdrawing from the tour of Bangladesh, adding that opener Alex Hales "has said goodbye to his Test career" by also opting out of the tour.

And another former skipper, Nasser Hussain, says Morgan's absence from the tour will undermine his authority as England's one-day captain.

It was announced on Monday that Morgan and Hales have pulled out of the tour starting next month due to safety fears, despite assurances from the England and Wales Cricket Board's security experts that the players will be safe.

Morgan's decision means Jos Buttler will step in as ODI captain, while the absence of Hales means he's given up any chance of holding on to his Test spot.

In his column in the UK Telegraph, Vaughan was particularly scathing of Morgan, saying the 30-year-old's decision has compromised his leadership of the one-day side.

"One main trait of a strong leader is they never ask a teammate to do something they would not do themselves," Vaughan wrote.

"This is why Morgan has made a huge mistake. The players will support him in the press but there will be a little thought at the back of their minds that he went missing at a difficult time for the side.

Image Id: 5D660A18B6744BAE859138578862C060 Image Caption: Jos Buttler will take over from Morgan as ODI captain // Getty Images

"As a captain you are always saying to the players, 'It is going to get tough in the middle and you can’t have it all your own way'. You tell them to be strong so they can go the extra yard.

"I do not see how he can look them in the eye and ask them to do that in the future."

Hussain agreed with Vaughan, writing in The Daily Mail that Morgan should set an example to his teammates.

"The next time Morgan asks his team to go that extra yard one of them might look at him and think: 'Hang on, when we put our necks on the line by going to Bangladesh and took ourselves out of our comfort zone, you weren’t with us. Where were you when we were surrounded by tanks and snipers and couldn’t leave our hotel rooms?'," Hussain wrote.

"It has to undermine his authority.

"The players will be cocooned in their rooms and will develop a siege mentality.

"That is a great shame but the bottom line is that if the team are going, if the ECB deem it safe, then the captain should be there."

Image Id: 38E0627668AC4784A9EFE50ABBE0ABB9 Image Caption: Former England captain Nasser Hussain has criticised Morgan's decision // Getty

The month-long tour, which will include three One-Day Internationals and two Tests, came under threat earlier this year after an attack on a Dhaka cafe in July saw 20 hostages killed.

Despite the attack, and the fact that Australia postponed their tour of the country last October for security reasons, the ECB confirmed last month that the tour would go ahead as planned after an assessment from respected security officer Reg Dickason.

Vaughan said Morgan had shown a lack of faith in Dickason and the ECB's top officials.

"My problem is that Eoin is basically saying, 'I do not trust the expert'," he wrote.

"Reg will feel let down. So will the likes of Andrew Strauss and Colin Graves, who have rubberstamped the tour to proceed based on Reg’s advice.

"Eoin has not trusted them to do their jobs, either. How would he feel if they said they do not trust him to make good decisions on the field?

"It will be very difficult for him to come back from this. They will be angry that he has been stubborn."

Image Id: 092F679FA9064C53816276872F22349C Image Caption: Michael Vaughan says Morgan should tour Bangladesh // Getty Images

Fast-bowler Stuart Broad, who has confirmed his participation for the Test series, says the assurances of Dickason were crucial is his decision to tour.

But he added that those players who do travel won't hold any grudges against those who don't.

"The ECB have assured us it is safe to go and people's jobs will depend on keeping us safe," Broad wrote in The Daily Mail.

"That is a big commitment, they've put their necks on the line to an extent and Reg Dickason, the head of security, is a man I trust and who has unrivalled knowledge of this area.

"I've known Reg for a very long time and he's never let any of us down before.

"Having said that, I do have sympathy for anyone who may decide not to go. It has to be a personal decision.

"If you genuinely feel unsafe and it stresses you out to such an extent that it would impact your mental and physical wellbeing then it's completely understandable to not put yourself in the position.

"It's important we stick together as players and I know there won't be any questions if certain players decide not to go. It's not a one-in-all-in, you have to make up your own mind."

Image Id: BEEFCC22BAE743108BAFD9EDB559E956 Image Caption: Hales and Morgan won't travel to Bangladesh // Getty

Morgan did find support from another former England skipper, Sir Ian Botham, who said the likes of ECB Director of Cricket Strauss could not complain that the two players have pulled out.

Upon confirming the tour would go ahead last month, Strauss said it was ultimately up to the players to decide if they wanted to join the tour.

 Now that Morgan and Hales have opted out, Botham said Strauss can't hold their decision against them.

"If you give the players the choice and don’t make the decision yourself as the ruling body, then there can be no repercussions and no reprisals," Botham wrote in The Mirror.

"Now that the captain has made his call, they should move on."

England will name their Test and ODI squads for the tour on Friday ahead of their arrival in Dhaka on September 30.