Eoin Morgan returns to action for first time since Mitchell Starc bouncer

Eoin Morgan returns to competitive cricket on Wednesday for the first time since he was hit by a 90mph Mitchell Starc bouncer in the summer.

Morgan was struck on the helmet by the Australia fast bowler during a one-day match at Old Trafford and was forced to retire hurt.

He suffered concussion for the first time in his career and has since upgraded his helmet - his new one was developed after Phillip Hughes suffered a fatal blow from a bouncer last year.

There have been many net sessions too to fine-tune his methods against the short ball, but even so Morgan admits it will be a crucial first innings back for him on Wednesday against Pakistan at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium.

He had a sighter in England's warm-up fixture, on an adjoining ground, against the gentler pace of Hong Kong - in which he made 16 off 20 balls.

"At the time, it was quite concerning," he said of Starc's ball. "The ball hit me quite hard. It was about 10 days before I was, I suppose, myself. Balance, grogginess, it was a really weird feeling.

"It's worrying, to be honest, because the feeling of concussion is something I've never had before. I suppose being in that position, having never been in it before, worried me a little."

He has steeled himself to watch again the moment he was hit and has concluded there was perhaps not much he could have done differently.

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He said: "I've watched it back a number of times; I've watched loads of footage of me in the past, how I've normally played [the short ball].

"I still look back at it now - and hats off, it was a pretty good delivery.

"I've done a lot of short-ball practice since then and I'm quite confident going into this series that I've progressed."

It was after being hit on the back of the neck, in the same ODI series against Australia that Morgan decided a change of headgear would give him more reassurance.

"I did change it during the series," he said. "I got hit on the neck at Lord's and wasn't wearing a neck-guard, so I changed to a Masuri helmet.

"I feel more protected with the neck-guard that they have, so I went for the full helmet."

Since then, he has upgraded further - for comfort - and added: "I've had scans on my head to have a mould for my own helmet, which I'm wearing now."

To hear more from Morgan, including his thoughts on his young bowling attack, how England will play Pakistan's spinners and the form of Jos Buttler, hit the video at the top of the screen. 

Watch the first ODI between Pakistan and England in Abu Dhabi on Sky Sports 2 from 10.30am on Wednesday. You can also watch without a contract on NOW TV.