Eoin Morgan may be the driving force behind England’s stunning ODI form - but Nasser Hussain believes the talismanic skipper still has one significant monkey to get off his back.

Under Morgan, England have gone from limited-overs also-rans to the world’s top side, sweeping aside all before them to assume the mantle as favourites for this summer’s ICC Cricket World Cup on home soil.

That scintillating form, coupled with the destructive manner with which they have achieved it, has brought plaudits from far and wide to the Middlesex batsman’s door.

Yet failure last time around with Morgan at the helm – England exited the 2015 edition in the group stages – and lingering question marks over a feast or famine batting style mean the left-hander still has some doubts to dispel in the coming months.

“He’s an odd player. He’ll go through phases where he doesn’t score runs and he had his peaks and troughs,” said former England captain Hussain, speaking at the ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy Tour Super Saturday event in Birmingham.

“But his recent form has been excellent, which is important. Captaincy works better when you are scoring runs.

“One thing he would like to put to bed is his tournament play hasn’t been that good.

“He was given a hospital pass last time around, getting handed the captaincy just before the tournament and they didn’t change the selection too much, playing an old brand of cricket.

“That’s the one thing he would like to put to right. In a tournament, he would like to deliver.”

Ranked the world’s No. 1 ODI side heading into the May 30 curtain raiser and boasting a formidable batting line-up featuring the likes of Jos Buttler, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow, hopes are high that this current vintage can become the first England side to get their hands on the coveted trophy.

And Hussain, who captained England between 1999 and 2003, feels that level of success would be just rewards for Morgan’s enduring faith in his style in the face of initial adversity.

“They’re right at the top and they deserve to be. They’ve played some magnificent cricket since the last World Cup,” Hussain added.

“He’s (Morgan) been so cool, so calm, and we’d doubted him. There was a game at the Ageas Bowl where I was doing the presentation after England had been bowled out in under 50 overs.

“We had a couple of old fogy commentators saying how ridiculous it was, that the first rule of 50-over cricket was to bat your overs.

“I put that to Eoin and he was not having it at all. He never seems to doubt himself and when the captain isn’t doubting himself that filters down through the team - and the team don’t look like they’ve doubted the new style and brand of cricket. It’s almost become second nature to them.

“They’ve selected well, the right type of player, and they’ve been ahead of the curve.

“They have placed themselves in exactly the right position heading into the competition. They couldn’t be better placed. Now it’s just about performing.

“They were average in ODIs for a number of years but people now look at us and think that’s the right way to do it. I think Eoin should take a lot of credit for that.”

  • ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy Tour, driven by Nissan, commences 100-day tour of England and Wales and will be at over 100 locations and events before arriving back in London ready for the opening match on May 30