ECB wants Root, Morgan to understand responsibility of playing 'exciting cricket'

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has called on new Test skipper Joe Root and his ODI counterpart Eoin Morgan to "understand their responsibility to play exciting cricket for future generations to connect with and for fans to get behind".

Chief executive of the ECB, Tom Harrison, has said that England cricket director Andrew Strauss and the current players understand what is expected of them.

"Andrew Strauss and the England team are very clear that part of their responsibility is playing brave cricket -- this commitment to playing an exciting formula of cricket every time they go on the park is linked to (the participation strategy)," Sport24 quoted Harrison as saying.

"Joe Root and Eoin Morgan understand their responsibility to play exciting cricket for future generations to connect with and for fans to get behind," he added.

The ECB chief executive further said even if England were to lose if they went down fighting the reaction would be kinder.

"It's a very deliberate strategy. It doesn't work every time but we understand you're more likely to be forgiven for having a bad day if you've tried everything to win a game as opposed to trying not to lose it, which is a key difference," Harrison said.

"Ever since Andrew took the job as director of cricket he saw the link between successful England teams, and I mean successful by approach as much as results, was key," he added.

Harrison, who has been at the helm since January 2015, maintained that the days of England trying to grind out a one-off Test victory are over.

He is off the view that people these days like the fact that the team is taking calculated risks, at very competitive limits, but also with a smile on their faces.

England will be starting their season with a two-match ODI series against Ireland starting May 5, followed by three-match series against South Africa.