Eoin Morgan captained England to 50-over World Cup glory in 2019; Morgan retired from international duty in June 2022 and has now retired from all forms of cricket; "I have cherished every moment," says former England white-ball captain
Monday 13 February 2023 16:29, UK
Eoin Morgan has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.
The 36-year-old, who captained England to World Cup glory in 2019, retired from international cricket last year and subsequently played in The Hundred as well as appearing on Sky Sports as a pundit.
Morgan made the announcement of his retirement with "great pride".
He said in a statement: "I believe that now is the right time to step away from the game that has given me so much over the years. From moving to England in 2005 to join Middlesex right up to the very end, playing for Paarl Royals in SA20, I have cherished every moment.
"As there are in every sportsperson's career, there have been highs and lows but my family and friends have been my side throughout," he continued.
"I also must thank all my team-mates, coaches, fans and those behind the scenes who not only made me the player I became but have also made me the man I am today."
As well as that World Cup triumph on home soil, he led England to the top of the one-day and Twenty20 rankings.
Morgan captained England in 126 ODIs and 72 T20s, registering 118 wins as skipper across the two formats.
He also won 16 caps in Test cricket, posting a highest score of 130.
"Thanks to cricket I have been able to travel the world and meet incredible people, many of whom I have developed lifelong friendships with," he said.
"Playing for franchise teams across the globe has given me so many memories that I will hold onto forever.
"Since my retirement from international cricket I have been able to spend more time with my loved ones and I look forward to being able to do so more and more in the future.
"Having said that I will undoubtedly miss the adventure and challenges of playing professional cricket."
Dublin-born Morgan began his international career with his native Ireland in 2006 but switched his allegiance to England in 2009, citing a lifelong desire to play Test cricket.
The left-hander went on to play 16 Tests, scoring two centuries, but did not cement a place in the five-day side and came to be seen as a limited-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 attacking limited-overs cricket.
The project culminated in dramatic fashion at Lord's in 2019, with Ben Stokes' heroics and a tied Super Over against New Zealand in the World Cup final, as England triumphed on boundary countback.
Last year, he retired as the country's record one-day and T20 run-scorer, posting 6,957 and 2,458 in the respective formats.
