It is said only fearless men can change a system, and absolute gutsy men to create a new system. Eoin Joseph Gerard Morgan or simply known as Eoin Morgan is a prime example of the adage. International cricket was left a poor place as Eoin Morgan called it quits on his career on Tuesday. The move came after protracted bad form with the bat and injury issues. Not only England cricket, but the world cricketing fraternity gave their heartfelt views on the retirement of Morgan. This begs the question why a reticent and quiet man born in Dublin, has become the toast of England and its cricketing folklore.
Starting Irish finishing English –
Eoin Morgan began his international cricket journey with the Trent Johnston led Ireland team. He was part of the team which beat Pakistan in the 2007 World cup scoring 2 runs in the game. Morgan made his ODI debut against Scotland and was out for 99, after 3-4 years of playing for Ireland, Morgan took a bold move. Sir Alex Ferguson once said “Easy Decision wins you friends, Tough Decisions wins you titles”. Eoin Morgan had a tough choice to make and he did.
The long awaited debut for England -
Eoin Morgan switched alliances in the middle of 2009 and was eligible to play for England right off the bat. It was due to Ireland not being a test nation and he soon made his debut for the 3 lions. While his test career was short, he was looked at as an enforcer by many. Morgan could score runs quickly and go after the bowlers and win the games, but the English team that he played for, played dour and safety first approach in the ODI format.
Unexpected ascent to captaincy -
Prior to the 2015 World Cup Alistair Cook, hung up his boots and the baton was passed to Morgan. Placed in Group A with traditional rivals Australia, the English team won just 2 games out of 6, including a loss to Bangladesh. This meant they were knocked out and failed to qualify for the final 8. This was a new low for English cricket and Morgan took a vow the tide was about to change.
ODI cricket witnesses a storm named England cricket –
Post the debacle of ODI world cup in 2015, Morgan decided to change the ways ODI cricket was played. He got talents who wanted a chance to express themselves, the one who could explode. He gave chances to players who were asked to curb their instincts or play within themselves. He threw every book out of the window and gave one simple message “Go out and play”. The likes of Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Dawid Malan became generational talents due to the backing given by Morgan.
The whirlwind years for England 2015-2017 –
Philosophical quotes aside, the effect of Morgan as a leader was seen during the 2 years post the 2015 world cup debacle. England not only change tactics and gears, but also became more formidable than then reigning champs Australia. Lets have a look at the table below (excluding ICC championships) where we see England’s numbers in bilateral series cricket since 2015 World Cup.
| Matches Played |
Wins |
Losses |
No Results |
Serries Wins |
| 101 |
66 |
28 |
7 |
19 |
Winning the world cup –
England cricket team long realized its dream when it won the world cup at home in 2019. At one point they looked set for an exit, but a win over fancied Indian team made sure they stay alive in the tournament. England went onto beat holders and traditional rivals Australia in the semi finals. In the final they beat New Zealand in the super over after heroics from Ben Stokes during the regular game. It was the first title for England and the title they wanted the most, after 3 times reaching the finals.
Emergence of new talents –
Post the 2015 World Cup, England saw the emergence of some new talents, who thrived under Eoin Morgan and his new England cricket ODI team set up. Jason Roy, 27 players made their debut in all till 2022. Out of the 27 players, Jason Roy, Alex Hales, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, David Willey have played a key role during the or in the run up to the 2019 world cup. Morgan successfully adapted a blue print that MSD had during the 2011 world cup, which is to form a core team in the lead up the world cup.
Drafting talents and letting them free -
Eoin Morgan also gave a lot of credence to players playing T20 leagues across the world. That’s where someone like Jonny Bairstow has become the player he is today. Former England captain, Nasser Hussain heaped lavish praise on the now retired former ODI skipper. Hussain while writing for Daily Mail said “Morgan was ahead of his time. Along with Kevin Pietersen, he explained the importance of IPL to English cricket. Morgan remains calm, gentle and calculative while on the field as captain. They remain cold as ice. Like all the best leaders, they have a presence”
Quitting the game with tall legacy behind him –
On Tuesday 28th June, 2022, Eoin Morgan pulled the curtains down on his illustrious cricket career. At 35 he could have stilled played a few more years, but his lack of form and constant niggles had forced his hand. Morgan leaves as a player who came in to make a change and was successful in doing it. His last international engagement was a series against Netherlands, and England nearly did something no team could. The three lions scored 498, and fell short by 2 runs to become the first team to score 500 in ODI cricket. It would have been poetic had the English team known the impending decision or maybe they knew, but it wasn’t just meant to be.
As they say, everything has an end and it proved to be the case for Morgan as well. What the future hold? Only Morgan can answer. One thing is for certain though, cricket has become dull again without Eoin Morgan at the helm.