Eoin Morgan, England’s World Cup-winning captain in 2019, has announced his retirement from international cricket, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Tuesday.
Over the past year, the left-handed hitter had struggled with fitness and form, and on Monday, British media widely reported that Morgan would indeed announce his retirement.
“After careful deliberation and consideration, I am here to announce my retirement from international cricket with immediate effect. To call time on what has been without doubt the most enjoyable and rewarding chapter of my career hasn’t been an easy decision, but I believe now is the right time to do so, both for me, personally, and for both England white-ball sides I have led to this point,” Morgan said in a release issued by England and Wales Cricket Board.
“The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) can confirm that England Men’s white-ball Captain Eoin Morgan has retired from international cricket with immediate effect.
“During his 13-year international career with England, the 35-year-old won the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup as Captain in 2019 at Lord’s, the first time England Men had won the world crown. He was also part of the England team that won the 2010 ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean.
“Morgan is the all-time leading run-scorer and most-capped player for England Men in both ODI and T20I matches.
“During his seven-year tenure as Men’s ODI captain, he guided England to number one in the ICC world rankings, including notable series victories against all the major nations,” the ECB release stated.
Morgan is largely recognised with bringing about a significant transformation in the way England played white-ball cricket.
Under his captaincy, England won the 50-over World Cup in 2019 and advanced to the finals of the 2016 T20 World Cup.
The team also advanced to the semi-finals of the 2017 Champions Trophy and the 2021 T20 World Cup. The now 35-year-old made his ODI debut for Ireland in 2006, while his T20 debut came four years later, in 2009, while playing for England.
Morgan, who began his international career with Ireland, has 225 ODIs and 115 T20Is for England, a record for the Three Lions.
He has scored 7,701 runs in 248 One-Day Internationals at an average of 39.29, with 14 centuries and 47 fifties. He has also scored 2,458 runs in 115 Twenty20 Internationals.
Morgan’s Test statistics are a touch unimpressive, as he was sidelined after accumulating 700 runs at an average of 30.43 in 16 Tests.
Morgan has been struggling with bad form and physical issues, and he was forced to withdraw from the final One-Day International against the Netherlands owing to injury.
