ICC World Cup 2019: Eoin Morgan terms reserve days for group stage matches 'unnecessary'

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England skipper Eoin Morgan has termed the concept of having reserve days for group stage matches in the ICC World Cup 2019 as 'unnecessary', despite four matches being washed out so far in the tournament.

The clash between India and New Zealand on Thursday was called off following constant rain resulting in the teams sharing points. This is no sole instance with clashes between Bangladesh-Sri Lanka, South Africa- West Indies and Pakistan- Sri Lanka called off previously as well. 

Morgan stated that it was "fair" to not allot reserve days for a tournament like the ICC World Cup 2019 considering the length of the tournament. He further stated they were needed only during the business end of the tournament, during the pre-match conference ahead of the clash against West Indies. 

"I think that it is fair to not have reserve days for matches in the group stage of the tournament. It's part and parcel of being anywhere in the world the fact that it might rain at some stage. However, I think that they are necessary during the later stages of the tournament," the ICC quoted Morgan as saying. 

The English captain further stated that Jos Buttler was fully fit for the clash against the Windies with pacer Mark Wood set to undergo a fitness test, following a sore ankle. 

Morgan further confirmed the return of Moeen Ali into the side after being ruled out previously due to personal reasons. 

The 32-year-old cricketer termed the West Indies side as a "strong outfit", capable of being explosive with the bat and posing a different challenge with the ball. 

"The West Indies are a strong outfit. We expect the exact same tomorrow. They are explosive with the bat and pose a different challenge with the ball. A lot of their seamers are quite tall and look to hit the wicket and obviously the majority of the time they only play one spinner, so that is going to be the challenge here," added Morgan.