A little bit surprised but they’ve got their personal reasons: Courtney Walsh

Bangladesh bowling coach Courtney Walsh says he was surprised that England ODI captain Eoin Morgan and batsman Alex Hales have refused to tour Bangladesh. Morgan and opener Alex Hales’ decision to skip the tour a couple of days ago wasn’t received well and both faced sharp criticism for not trusting the ECB over this matter.

The terrorist attack on Dhaka in July which left 22 dead (mainly foreigners were targeted) had raised a security concern. However, ECB, after consulting with its chief of security, confirmed that the tour will go as per the schedule. The players left on their own to make the choice of touring the nation or not. While most of them agreed after initial hesitation, Morgan and Hales chose to miss the tour party.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said wicketkeeper Jos Buttler will lead the One-Day side in Morgan’s absence. But, Walsh, who flew in on September 3 to take up the job of the team’s bowling mentor, is not amused.

“Well, a little bit surprised with the tour going ahead – but they’ve got their personal reasons I’m sure,” Walsh told BBC on Tuesday. “But in terms of cricket, as long as the tour is going ahead, you want to have everyone involved and the best people on the tour. I’m sure the Bangladesh fans will be a little bit disappointed and probably some England fans as well, but as long as the tour goes on everybody will be happy,” he added.

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The Caribbean legend thinks an incomplete squad on a tour is hard to appreciate for the rest of the players in the team. “If I’m going on a tour and some of the guys pulled out – you’re going to feel a bit disappointed that not everybody is going on the tour together. Obviously, from a team perspective, the team would like everybody selected to go on the tour to have a full squad of those who were selected.”

The Jamaican, however, is confident that Bangladesh can provide the tourists with proper security arrangements. “Yeah, I received reassurances over safety and security. I felt safe and confident. When you weigh up against what’s happening in the world – I mean things are happening all over and you weigh your options and your chances – they gave me reassurances of security of the highest level and that’s one of the reasons I’m there,” he added.