PRIOR: MORGAN WILL BE AN ALL-TIME GREAT ENGLAND CAPTAIN IF HE WINS THE BIG ONE
EOIN MORGAN turned a hospital pass into a golden ticket – and now he’s on course to join the greats among England captains.
Morgan is the sole survivor of the only England team to win a global limited-overs competition, the World Twenty20 nine years ago, when Paul Collingwood led them to glory in the Caribbean. Now he could conquer the planet again, and former team-mate Matt Prior says Morgan would deserve reverence as one of English cricket’s leadership giants if he lifts the World Cup on July 14.
The tournament favourites take another step towards destiny against the West Indies at the Rose Bowl on Friday.
And Prior, part of the England side who reached No.1 in the Test charts in 2010-11, believes Morgan has been the “catalyst” for their conversion from one-day dunces four years ago to the current side’s record-breaking cavaliers.
Morgan was handed the one-day captaincy at woefully short notice in Australia and New Zealand after Alastair Cook was axed, and he had no time to establish his own blueprint. Prior said: “What a statement of Eoin’s talent it would be if he could win the World Cup almost a decade after helping England to win the World Twenty20.
“It would be just reward for his leadership.
“He is a phenomenal player. And you cannot underestimate the job he’s done in terms of the way he has turned England’s fortunes. He has been the catalyst for an astonishing turnaround in our white-ball cricket. He will deserve to be recognised as one of England’s great captains If they win it.”
■Matt Prior was speaking at the Chance To Shine schools open day, supported by Yorkshire Tea, at Lord’s. Visit chancetoshine.org to find out more about how to play, learn and develop through cricket.