Eoin Morgan, England World Cup-winning captain, retires from all forms of cricket

London: Eoin Morgan, who led England to their first-ever ICC Men’s Cricket One Day International World Cup title in 2019, has announced his retirement from professional cricket with immediate effect.

Morgan’s last appearance came for the Paarl Royals in the semifinal of the recently concluded SA20 League. The left-hander aggregated 128 runs at a strike-rate of 145.45 with a highest of 64 across six innings in the competition.

Morgan had retired from international cricket in July last year, following a 16-year-long career that had begun with Ireland, before he moved to England. He continued to play in various global franchise leagues across the world thereafter.

"It is with great pride that I am announcing my retirement from all forms of cricket,” the 36-year-old said in his official statement. “After much deliberation, 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 by my side throughout it all. I would like to say a particularly special thank you to my wife, Tara, my family and close friends who have supported me unconditionally.

"I also must thank all my teammates, 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. Thanks to cricket, I have been able to travel the world and meet incredible people, many of whom I have developed lifelong friendships with. 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.

"Although I am calling time on my playing career, I will still be involved in the game, working alongside broadcasters at international and franchise tournaments as a commentator and pundit. I am sincerely looking forward to what the future holds."

Morgan aggregated 5,042 runs in first-class cricket, 11,654 in List A and 7,780 in T20s in a professional career that had started back in 2006. One of England’s white-ball greats, Morgan remains England’s leading run-scorer - 6957 runs in 225 ODIs with 13 hundreds - and the most successful captain in ODIs, with 76 wins from 126 matches he led in.

As for T20Is, he aggregated 2458 runs in 115 matches at a strike-rate of 136.18 with 14 fifties. An integral part of England’s first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup triumph in the West Indies in 2010, Morgan led the side to a runners-up finish in the 2016 edition in India. Overall, he led England to 42 T20I wins from 72 matches.

Middlesex, Morgan’s county, acknowledged his contributions to the game during a glittering playing career: "Middlesex Cricket would like to thank Eoin for all he has done for the Club and the game throughout his career. We are extremely proud to have played a part in his success and wish him every success for his future career in the media." (UNI)