Bairstow to open against West Indies: Morgan

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London, September 18: Jonny Bairstow will open for England in the first one-day international against West Indies at Old Trafford.

Jason Roy will not regain the position he lost to Bairstow in England's Champions Trophy semi-final defeat to Pakistan in Cardiff three months ago.

"Jonny is going to open with Alex Hales," said England captain Eoin Morgan.

"We feel Jonny deserves a chance. He's been waiting in the wings for quite a while now. This is an opportunity to make the opening position his," he said.

Bairstow has long been one of England's most reliable batsmen across the formats, and marked his latest return to the ODI arena with 43 at the top of the order as the hosts nonetheless bowed out of their own tournament when they lost by eight wickets to Pakistan.

As Morgan contemplated their prospects in the five-match series set to get under way at Old Trafford, he spelled out that the tourists bolstered by the returns of the previously disaffected Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels may be a different proposition to the team beaten 3-0 by England in the Caribbean in March.

Asked if England will need to be at their best for a follow-up series win, Morgan said: "Yes, I think we will. They're a strong outfit, (and) obviously have some additions, changes from the Test team - so they're not a side we take lightly.

"A lot of our focus over the last couple of years has been on ourselves.

"I think to make that extra step, learning on from the Champions Trophy, this series for us is about producing consistent performances."