England are in the final of the World T20. The same England who, just last year, were the laughing stock of the ODI World Cup. Nominally, anyway, because much has changed. England have, in Trevor Bayliss, a new coach. They also have a lot of new players, and a new fearless approach. But the captain, Eoin Morgan, remains – as does his boom and bust form with the bat. At this World Cup, as two golden ducks attest, it looks bust.

But perhaps it doesn’t matter. Sure, in an ideal world, Morgan would be scoring a boatload of runs (if he wasn’t still playing for Ireland, that is), but it’s rare that a team has all eleven in form, and perhaps Morgan’s captaincy makes up for his lack of runs. Would England have achieved such a rapid and astonishing turn around without Morgan? Would the likes of Jason Roy have played so fearlessly without the example of his captain? We will never know. Likewise, how many runs have been saved by Morgan’s field settings? How many wickets are down to his bowling changes? The only statistical barometer is results, and England are winning. And winning in style.

It is worth noting that Darren Sammy, captain of the West Indies, England’s opponents tomorrow,  has also failed – mostly by not being required, to be fair – to produce much with bat or ball in this tournament. Sammy is following a tradition of captains who, if playing local league cricket, might be hit with a DNF (Did Not Feature) fine. An early cricket-watching memory I have is of David Hughes captaining Lancashire to limited overs silverware, and Mike Brearley is the most obvious example.

Thinking about it, the most successful teams I have played in have had a captain whose captaincy was their strongest suit. Nigel Dixon was very much in the Hughes mould, but Alex Mutucumarana could have batted higher in the order, could have bowled a few overs. But he didn’t, and it enabled him to concentrate on the captaincy. As a result – and maybe I’m biased because I took Moots’ spot at the top of the order – I’m convinced the team performed better. (We couldn’t have performed much better, winning the league unbeaten in 2010)

Perhaps, therefore, it is time to view the captaincy as a sacrificial role, particularly in the hectic atmosphere of a T20 World Cup. T20, by its very nature, makes an event of every ball, and it is the fielding captain who has to play ringmaster. It should come as no surprise if this, along with all the attendant media demands and man-management requirements, has a negative impact on a captain’s output. But when the team is winning, who cares?

Nasser Hussain described the decision to dispense with Alastair Cook and give the captaincy to Morgan before the 2015 World Cup as a “hospital pass.” In contrast, Andrew Strauss’ choice of sticking with Morgan after that predictably disastrous campaign now looks like a Dennis Bergkamp through-ball. To extend the metaphor, Morgan has tucked it away nicely. Now, on the brink of the final, is not the time to question his position in the team.