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SA vs ENG: Eoin Morgan defends use of cryptic signals from team balcony

WION Web Team
New Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Dec 03, 2020, 06:35 PM IST
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Photograph:(Twitter)

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England’s limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan on Thursday defended the cryptic signals and information received from video analyst Nathan Leamon during the third T20I against South Africa in Cape Town while adding that he would continue to make use of signals from the team balcony.

England’s limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan on Thursday defended the cryptic signals and information received from video analyst Nathan Leamon during the third T20I against South Africa in Cape Town while adding that he would continue to make use of signals from the team balcony.

Leamon, England’s video analyst, was seen showing images of numbers are letters from England team’s balcony during the third T20I against South Africa – a move that has raised question marks from the cricket fraternity.

"There’s been no real signals," said Morgan. 

"There has always been constant communication, verbal or physical, from the change room to us the field to help improve my decisions as captain and Jos Buttler’s decisions as vice-captain,” said Morgan.

Morgan added that England did their research on the game and any signals were intended to express how data might have evolved during the course of the match. 

"It’s something we’ve used a lot pre-game and are now experimenting within the game to see if we can improve our performance on the field."

Morgan went on to reveal that signals had been used in the entire T20 series and not just the final match. 

"There weren’t many decisions that varied from mine. I think there were three in the first game, two in the second and a couple in the third," said Morgan ahead of a three-match one-day series against South Africa, starting at Newlands on Friday.

The England skipper further said that the tactical innovation was "100 per cent within the spirit of the game".  

Earlier, it was reported that England were clear about their plan to use signals with the match officials before the start of the T20I series.

"We’re definitely going to continue with it to give it enough sample size to see whether it improves our decision-making on the field," said Morgan.