Daily Times

LONDON: Eoin Morgan, England’s 2019 World Cup-winning captain, has announced his retirement from all forms of professional cricket with immediate effect. Morgan, 36, retired from international cricket in July 2022 after a 16-year career — first with Ireland, then with England — but continued to play in short-form tournaments around the world. He captained London Spirit to the Hundred’s eliminator last year, was a losing finalist in the Abu Dhabi T10 with New York Strikers, and made seven appearances for Paarl Royals in the recently-concluded SA20. Morgan said in a statement: “It is with great pride that I am announcing my retirement from all forms of cricket. After much deliberation, I believe that now is the right time to step away from the game that has given me so much over the years.”

Morgan captained London Spirit in the first two seasons of the Hundred but will not be part of their list of retained players, which will be announced later this week after Tuesday night’s deadline. He will remain involved in the professional game as a broadcaster and is unlikely to be short on offers to become a coach if he desires. He may also continue to play in the growing ‘legends’ circuit for retired players.

Morgan ends his career with over 24,000 professional runs in 855 appearances, spanning nearly 20 years. He has left his mark on a number of domestic teams around the world, including his county Middlesex, but leaves his legacy through his seven-and-a-half years as England’s limited-overs captain. Morgan replaced Alastair Cook in the role in the run-up to the 2015 World Cup in Australia, where England suffered heavy losses against Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka before their tournament culminated in defeat to Bangladesh and a humiliating group-stage exit.

But with the support of Andrew Strauss and Trevor Bayliss, Morgan led a stunning revival over the next four years. England were beaten finalists in the 2016 T20 World Cup and reached the semi-finals of the 2017 Champions Trophy, but both tournaments were staging posts on a four-year journey to the 2019 World Cup on home soil. Perhaps his greatest legacy lies in the culture shift he engendered within English cricket. Shedding the conservative, risk-averse style that had characterised their limited-overs history, Morgan’s dynamic young team broke records with their ultra-aggressive, fearless batting and embraced their status as favourites heading into the World Cup. He was also a T20 World Cup winner, playing every game in England’s 2010 triumph in the Caribbean, and played 16 Test matches between 2010 and 2012.