England limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan announced his retirement from international cricket on Tuesday, bringing the curtains down on a glorious chapter in English cricket which witnessed a transformation in the team’s white-ball fortunes.
Morgan, who led England to their only ICC ODI World Cup triumph in 2019 on home soil, made the announcement just 10 days before the start of England’s limited-overs fixtures against India.
“After careful deliberation and consideration, I am here to announce my retirement from international cricket with immediate effect,” said Morgan in an ECB statement.
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The Irish-born cricketer was expected to make the announcement in line with the upheaval that English cricket has witnessed in recent months with multiple changes both in the England and Wales Cricket Board as well as in the senior men’s team, with all-rounder Ben Stokes replacing Joe Root as the Test captain.
Morgan had been under immense pressure due to his poor run of form with the bat, which might have been a factor behind his decision.
He retires from the sport with more than 10,000 international runs under his belt, and he is currently England’s leading run-scorer in both ODIs ((6,957) as well as T20Is (2,458). His tally of 225 ODI appearances and 115 in T20Is are also England records.
But the 35-year-old batsman has been struggling with form and fitness issues this year. Dublin-born Morgan was twice out for nought during the recent ODI series in the Netherlands and withdrew from the third game with a groin issue.
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Morgan, who will continue his domestic career, had made just two fifties from his past 28 international innings across the two white-ball formats, a dip that helped convince him to retire.
“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, who thanked his family and his team-mates for their support, added: “I am hugely proud of what I have achieved as a player and captain, but the things I will cherish and remember the most are the memories I made with some of the greatest people I know along the way.”
Morgan began his international career with his native Ireland in 2006 but switched his allegiance to England in 2009.
He is the only England player to have won both limited-overs World Cups, having helped Paul Collingwood’s side triumph in the 2010 T20 version in the Caribbean.
With inputs from AFP
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