"Future for England's white-ball teams is brighter than ever" - Eoin Morgan announces retirement from international cricket

England’s white-ball captain Eoin Morgan has announced his international retirement with immediate effect. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed the same by releasing an official statement on Tuesday (June 28). While announcing his retirement, the 35-year-old asserted that the future of England’s white-ball teams is “brighter than ever”.

Morgan led England to their first 50-over World Cup win in men’s cricket when the hosts lifted the trophy at Lord’s in 2019 after an unforgettable final against New Zealand. He was also part of the England team that won the 2010 T20 Cricket World Cup in West Indies.

The left-hander, however, has been battling severe form issues over the last few months in international cricket. Since the start of 2021, he has averaged 25.75 in ODIs and 16.36 in T20Is. He registered consecutive ducks in the two ODIs he played against the Netherlands as well.

Releasing an official statement, Morgan said:

"After careful deliberation and consideration, I am here to announce my retirement from international cricket with immediate effect. 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."

Thanking his family for their unconditional support, he added:

"From my start in the international arena with Ireland to winning the World Cup in 2019, I have never lost sight of how integral family support is to any international sportsperson. To my Mum and Dad, my wife, Tara, and our family around the world, thank you for your unconditional support throughout the good and more challenging times in my career. Without you all, this incredible journey would not have been possible.”

Morgan also expressed gratitude towards his England teammates, coaches, and fans and said:

"I must also thank my teammates, coaches, supporters, and those behind the scenes who have made my career and any successes possible. 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.”

He continued:

"I have been lucky enough to play in two World Cup winning teams, but I believe the future for England's white-ball teams is brighter than ever. We have more experience, more strength and more depth than ever before. I look forward to watching on with a huge level of excitement.”

On his future plans, the former England captain concluded:

"To what lies ahead for me, I will continue to enjoy playing at a domestic level while I can. I'm really looking forward to playing and captaining London Spirit in the second edition of The Hundred this year."

---

Eoin Morgan’s stellar white-ball career in a nutshell

Morgan is England’s all-time leading run-scorer as well as the most-capped player in both ODIs and T20Is in men’s cricket. He was in charge of the ODI squad for seven years, during which he engineered a remarkable turnaround which even saw the team reach the No. 1 position in the ICC world rankings.

Morgan played 225 ODIs for England and scored 6,957 runs, including 13 hundreds, at an average of 39.75. In his 126 matches as captain, he won 76 games. His win percentage of 60 is the best by an England men's ODI captain. As a batter, he also holds the world record for the most number of sixes hit in an ODI innings - 17 against Afghanistan in the 2019 World Cup.

Morgan also led the team in 72 T20Is. Overall, he played 115 matches in the format, scoring 2,458 runs at a strike rate of 136.17. The left-hander also represented England in 16 Tests, notching up two hundreds.

Before playing for England, Morgan represented Ireland in 23 ODIs from 2006 to 2009.