Five questions for England to answer ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup: Is Eoin Morgan a problem?

After England’s defeat by New Zealand in the T20 World Cup semi-final, Sportsmail examines the areas the team needs to look at before the next tournament in Australia in 2022.

Will Eoin Morgan still be captain?

Straight after Wednesday’s traumatic defeat in Abu Dhabi, Morgan insisted he wanted to carry on, and head coach Chris Silverwood backed him on Thursday.

‘I still think he’s got a lot of years in front of him that he can give to this team, and this team enjoy having him,’ he said. ‘For me, the longer he is there, the better.

‘Even on the coach on the way back from the game, his mind had already gone on to the next World Cup – what do we need to do, what are we looking for? As soon as those conversations start, in my mind, that is it: he’s in. He wants it, and he wants to lead.’

Eoin Morgan looks set to continue as captain despite his struggles with the bat of late

Can England carry his batting?

Morgan hasn’t passed 40 in 16 T20 innings for England, and came in as low as No 7 against South Africa. When those above him are firing, that is less of a problem, but Jonny Bairstow’s lack of runs and a quiet World Cup for Dawid Malan didn’t help.

Silverwood, though, was trying to focus on the bigger picture. ‘The value he brings as a leader outweighs that,’ he said. ‘What he brings to the team from a tactical and motivational point of view, from the way he gets all the players and staff to follow him… he brings so much more than just batting.’

Is Chris Jordan still the man to bowl at the death?

Silverwood admitted he had to give Jordan ‘lots of support to make sure he doesn’t get too down on himself’ after New Zealand’s Jimmy Neesham hit his third over, the 17th of the innings, for 23 – the turning-point of the semi-final. ‘He did everything he could to control that situation. It just wasn’t his day.’

In fairness to Jordan, he bowled superbly in the wins against Australia and Sri Lanka. But he will be 34 when the next World Cup starts, by which time the role may be back in the hands of his close friend Jofra Archer. Whether the injury-prone Tymal Mills will be available is another matter.

Chris Jordan will be 34 at the time of the next World Cup with pressure on his place in the side

Have England worked out how best to use Moeen Ali?

The question seems never-ending. Ali was either integral to England’s attack or ignored altogether because of the fad with match-ups: his off-breaks opened the bowling in four of their six games, but in the other two – including the semi-final – he didn’t send down a single ball as Morgan kept him away from Australia and New Zealand’s right-handers.

His batting role still seems dependent on the success or failure of others. By the time England played their fifth Super 12 game against South Africa, he had faced just six balls in the tournament. Trusted up the order, he responded with 37 off 27, then made 51 not out off 37 in the semi. Perhaps it’s time to keep him there.

Moeen did not bowl a single delivery in the semi-final defeat despite excelling early on

And what about Liam Livingstone?

It felt like an oversight that England’s biggest hitter – bigger even than Jos Buttler – batted only three times in the World Cup, facing just 29 balls. The three sixes he hit in a row off South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada at Sharjah confirmed his unique talent.

Not only that, Livingstone looked like a genuine all-rounder. His economy-rate of 5.73 was almost a run better than Adil Rashid’s. At some point, England may decide he offers more than Malan.

England’s biggest hitter Liam Livingstone faced just 29 balls at the World Cup