Vaughan slams Morgan, Stokes backs team-mates

Former England skipper Michael Vaughan was particularly unimpressed by Morgan's choice, saying he needed to step up as a leader.

England duo Alex Hales and Eoin Morgan will skip the upcoming tour of Bangladesh due to security reasons.

England one-day international captain Eoin Morgan and batsman Alex Hales' decisions not to tour Bangladesh have been greeted by a mixed response.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Sunday that the duo had made themselves unavailable for selection over security concerns.

Former England skipper Michael Vaughan was particularly unimpressed by Morgan's choice, saying he needed to step up as a leader.

"I presume he has spoken to people who have been in similar situations themselves such as Trevor Bayliss and Paul Farbrace, who were caught up in a terrorist attack in Lahore," Vaughan wrote in The Telegraph .

"But once you absorb all that advice there is still one thing you have to remember as an England captain: it is your job to lead in difficult circumstances.

"It is an incredible honour to be an England captain. You take the job dreaming of glorious times, winning and leading the team to success.

"But you also sign up knowing that, at times, you will have to do things you do not want to do. One main trait of a strong leader is they never ask a team-mate to do something they would not do themselves.

"This is why Morgan has made a huge mistake. The players will support him in the press but there will be a little thought at the back of their minds that he went missing at a difficult time for the side."

Jos Buttler will captain the 50-over side in Morgan's absence, with England due to play three ODIs and two Tests in Bangladesh.

In contrast to Vaughan, all-rounder Ben Stokes said his team-mates' decisions had to be respected.

"I will always back, not just my captain but also any fellow team-mate's decision on matters like this," he wrote on Twitter.

"They have both obviously thought long and hard about this important decision and have both made the call that is right for them as individuals.

"Please try and respect their choice. I do, as a colleague and as friend to them both."

An England XI is due to play a tour match in Bangladesh on October 3 before the opening ODI four days later.

In July, 20 hostages were killed in a terror attack when militants opened fire in a cafe in Dhaka.