Birmingham: England skipper Eoin Morgan believes that Jonny Bairstow has every right to express his opinion as much as the critics, who can pan the team when they are not playing well.
Morgan had an eventful press meet on the eve of their do-or-die game against India here Sunday in which he presented a dead bat to questions on his future as leader if England happen to get ousted.
When asked about Bairstow's comments (without naming Michael Vaughan and Kevin Pietersen) that critics want the team to lose, Morgan first feigned ignorance. So are you disappointed with the remark? "What remark?" he countered.
When specifically told about Bairstow's remark, Morgan said: "No. He's entitled to his opinion, like critics are. That's the way he feels." At the same time, having lost three games, the England skipper didn't rubbish the criticism altogether including a social media dig by former skipper Pietersen, who felt that Morgan was scared while facing Mitchell Starc.
"I think critics are there to be critical. We haven't performed well, so they are going to be critical. They're entitled to their own opinion," said Morgan, trying to balance it out.
He is happy with the kind of support they have got from fans, even though he knows that Sunday could be an away game for the hosts with 95 percent stands being filled by the Indian fans.
The England team has batted well on the flat decks and piled up huge scores and Morgan agreed that had been their comfort zone and calling card as far as bilateral series were concerned. The skipper was also protective of his players and despite a below-par effort in the tournament so far, he couldn't find any fault in their commitment.
-Press Trust of India
