England World Cup-winning captain Morgan retires from cricket
England’s World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.
The 36-year-old oversaw the transformation of England’s white-ball side from also-rans in 2015 to 50-over world champions at Lord’s four years later.
He called time on his international career last year but continued to play county cricketforMiddlesexandrepresent London Spirit in The Hundred. Morgan intends to remain involved in the game, workingasacommentatorand pundit.
“It is with great pride that I amannouncingmyretirement fromallformsofcricket,”Morgan said. “I believe that now is the right time to step away from the game that has given me so much over the years.”
Dublin-born Morgan began his international career withhisnativeIrelandin2006, but switched his allegiance to England in 2009, citing a lifelongdesiretoplayTestcricket.
The left-hander went on to play 16 Tests, scoring two centuries, but did not cement a place in the five-day side and becameseenasalimited-overs specialist. As a sparkling and innovative stroke-maker he was ahead of his time and was catapulted into the captaincy when Sir Alastair Cook was sacked on the eve of the 2015 World Cup.
The tournament was a debacle, with England knocked out in the group stages, but Morgan was identified by then director of cricket Sir Andrew Strauss as the man to reboot an ailing team.
Taking the driving seat alongside new head coach Trevor Bayliss, who acted more as a facilitator for Morgan’s ideas, he ushered in a new generation of players and established England as the standard bearers for attackinglimited-overscricket.
The project culminated in dramatic fashion at the home of cricket in 2019, with Ben Stokes’ heroics and a tied SuperOveragainstNewZealand intheWorldCupfinal,asEnglandtriumphedonboundary countback.
Last year, he retired as the country’s record one-day and T20run-scorer,posting6,957 and 2,458 in the respective formats. “Thanks to cricket, I have been able to travel the world and meet incredible people, many of whom I have developed lifelong friendships with,” continued Morgan. “I will undoubtedly miss the adventure and challenges of playing professional cricket.”