Morgan is a pioneer in white ball cricket: Buttler

Ahmedabad, Mar 17 (PTI): Skipper Eoin Morgan is one of the white ball “pioneers”, who has propelled English cricket to a different level with his incredible leadership, reckons his deputy Jos Buttler.
Morgan, who had ended his country’s 44-year wait for maiden ODI World Cup title in 2019, on Tuesday became the first England player and fourth overall to make 100 appearances in T20 cricket.
He celebrated the milestone moment with an eight-wicket win over India in the third T20.
“He has been a pioneer for English white ball cricketers. He’s always been someone who’s been ahead of the curve,” Buttler told reporters after England snatched a 2-1 lead in the five-match series here on Tuesday.
Continuing his praise for his skipper, Buttler said Morgan along with Kevin Pietersen have taken their white ball cricket to a different level.
“They were two guys I always looked up to in white ball teams and who could do a bit different, who could take the game forward and look to be ahead of the curve. “He’s been a pioneer, as a player to start with. And certainly as a captain and a leader. He’s taken English white ball cricket to a place, it’s never been before, to be honest. He’s done that in quite an incredible way.
“Everyone enjoys playing for him. The environment that he’s created, the group we have at the moment is as much fun to play in as ever. As a really good team, he’s been a huge driver of that alongside a few others.
“He is a selfless guy. Today is really about him and no mean feat to achieve 100 caps,” he added.
Buttler, who was earlier seen in a finisher’s role, further said he’s got full backing from Morgan to play as an opener in T20Is after his skipper promoted him in 2018.
“Now I’ve got the full backing from Morgs (Eoin Morgan) to go and do that and that gives me a lot of confidence. And I think, really enjoyed the role today as I always do,” Buttler, who scored a match-winning unbeaten 83, said.