Cook out, Morgan in as England ODI captain: BBC

Alastair Cook has been dropped as England captain for next year's 50-over World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, the BBC and Sky Sports reported on Friday. 

Opener Cook, who has been woefully out of form with the bat, will be replaced as skipper by swashbuckling middle-order batsman Eoin Morgan. 

Cook was at the helm when England lost 5-2 in Sri Lanka in this month's one-day series. 

The Essex batsman has toiled all year in the 50-over format, hitting 523 runs in 20 matches at a mediocre average of 27.52 

Morgan, however, has fared even worse with the bat in 2014, averaging 25.45. 

But the Middlesex left-hander has an impressive record in the eight one-day matches in which he has captained England, piling up 427 runs at an average of 71.16 

England will warm up for the World Cup by playing in a Tri-Series competition in Australia next month. 

The World Cup starts on Feb. 14 and Morgan's men have been drawn in Pool A along with Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Scotland.

Image: Eoin Morgan

Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images