Morgan will be looking to make his mark in Australia.
  • Morgan will be looking to make his mark in Australia.
  • He first played international cricket for Ireland.
  • His efforts for Middlesex, particularly in one-day cricket, led to an England call-up.
  • Morgan reached his maiden Test ton against Pakistan with a six.
  • His background in hurling allows him to hit some stunning sweeps.

Have you heard the one about the Irishman who plays for England and is heading to Australia for the winter? It could be the opening line to a joke - instead it is a brief summary of Eoin Morgan's meteoric rise.

Born in Dublin, Morgan first rose to prominence playing for his homeland. He made 99 on his international debut and despite a lean 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean, established himself as the leading batsman for the Irish.

A move to Middlesex followed and he was part of their successful Twenty20 Cup side in 2008.

While first-class runs have not always flowed from his bat, the 24-year-old has stood out in one-day cricket due to the sheer audacity of his strokeplay.

A background in hurling has been transfered into cricket, meaning Morgan has a quite brilliant ability to work the ball behind square on both sides of the wicket with various flicks and sweeps.

The national selectors soon took notice and after a stop-start beginning to his England career, the left-hander underlined his reputation with two differing half-centuries in the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa.

His blistering 67 off just 34 balls against the Proteas marked him down as the man in the middle order capable of clearing the ropes that England had so badly been looking for.

He became the first player to score two ODI tons for two differing nations with an unbeaten 110 against Bangladesh that saw him almost single-handedly guide England to glory.

That knock proved that he not only had the talent but also the temperament required for Test cricket. In the summer of 2010 he played in six matches, hitting a maiden ton against Pakistan at Trent Bridge.

Having already left a mark on Australia with a superb hundred in the NatWest Series earlier this year, Morgan has made a strong case as to why he must be a member of England's top six for the Ashes.