Eoin Joseph Gerard Morgan ( ; born 10 September 1986) is a cricket commentator and former cricketer who played for Ireland and England. He captained the England in limited overs cricket from 2015 until his international retirement in June 2022. He is regarded as one of England's greatest limited-overs captains. Under his captaincy, England won the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, their first title in the tournament, and reached the final of the 2016 ICC World Twenty20. Morgan was also a member of the England team that won the 2010 ICC World Twenty20.
A left-handed batsman, Morgan played county cricket for Middlesex and represented England in Test, One Day International (ODI), and Twenty20 International (T20I) cricket. He previously played ODI cricket for Ireland, his country of birth, and was the first player to score an ODI century for two nations.
After Alastair Cook was removed as ODI captain on 19 December 2014, Morgan was appointed England captain for the 2015 Cricket World Cup, having already served as stand-in captain in ODIs and T20Is. During the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, he set the record for the most sixes in an ODI innings, hitting 17 against Afghanistan. In March 2021, Morgan became the first male England cricketer to play in 100 T20Is, 57 of them as captain, in the third match against India. On 13 February 2023, he announced his retirement from all forms of the game.
, Morgan is the most-capped player for England in ODI matches.
Early life and education Morgan was born on 10 September 1986 in Dublin and brought up in Rush, where his father Jody was from; his mother Olivia is English. He learned to play cricket at Rush Cricket Club, where his father was Third XI captain.
He was educated at the Catholic University School on Leeson Street, where he played in three Leinster Senior Schools Cup champion teams. In his early teens, Morgan played hurling twice a week. Often questioned as to its influence in the development of his skills as a batsman, Morgan downplays this, aside from possibly the reverse sweep, where the grip is the same as for hurling.
During this time, he also briefly attended Dulwich College in south London to further his cricketing education and it was here that his ambition to play for England began. He represented Ireland's youth teams and was capped at Under-13, Under-15 and Under-17 level, eventually he became Ireland's youngest senior international. He spent a number of summer spells with Middlesex's under-age setup.
He was selected in the Irish under-19 squad for the 2004 Under-19 Cricket World Cup, and was Ireland's top run-scorer in the competition.
Two years later, he captained Ireland in the 2006 Under-19 World Cup where he finished as the second-highest overall run-scorer. He has also played for Finchley CC. He is the leading runscorer in U19 Cricket World Cup history with an aggregate of 606 runs.
Domestic career
Morgan scored his maiden first-class century for Middlesex on 5 July 2008 at Uxbridge. This was compiled from 250 balls against the touring South Africans before their Test series against England; the innings included three sixes off spinner Paul Harris. Morgan was part of Middlesex's victorious Twenty20 Cup winning team in 2008. He underlined his growing maturity after leading Middlesex to victory in the County Championship against Kent.
After regular captain Shaun Udal was injured on the morning of the match, Morgan was named captain, at an age of just 22, having been chosen over senior players Owais Shah, Chris Silverwood, Murali Kartik and Tyron Henderson. It was Middlesex's first four-day victory of the season. Udal returned to captain the team for the next match against Essex.
In January 2020, Morgan was named as the captain for Middlesex's T20 team for the 2020 Vitality Blast campaign. "I'm delighted to be awarded the T20 Captaincy. The role is one that I have really enjoyed. We’ve got an exciting group of players here at Middlesex, with plenty of talent and a good blend of youth and experience, and I'm really looking forward to helping the club build on the improvements we made in this format last year", Morgan's statement read upon assuming the captain's role.
T20 franchise cricket Morgan took part in the 2010 Indian Premier League (IPL). In the preceding player auction, he was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore for a sum of $220,000. However, he was in and out of the team and was not given much opportunity. Morgan was purchased by the Kolkata Knight Riders for $350,000 at the 2011 IPL auctions for the next 3 years. He decided not to enter IPL 2014 due to England playing a home ODI series against Sri Lanka while the IPL took place.
In 2015, Morgan played in the Indian Premier League and was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for $150,000. During the tournament, he missed England's ODI game against Ireland. He also played 7 games for the Sunrisers in IPL 2016.
In the 2017 IPL auction, Morgan was bought by Kings XI Punjab for Rs. 2 Crore. He played until 30 April before returning to England for a training camp. He played in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) for the Peshawar Zalmi in the 2017 season having been bought for US$140,000 in the Platinum Category.
In October 2018, Morgan was named in Tshwane Spartans' squad for the first edition of the Mzansi Super League T20 tournament. In July 2019, he was selected to play for the Dublin Chiefs in the inaugural edition of the Euro T20 Slam cricket tournament. However, the following month the tournament was cancelled.
In the 2020 IPL auction, he was sold to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for 5.25 crores, and during the season was appointed KKR's captain. In the 2021 season, Morgan led KKR to its third IPL final where they lost to Chennai Super Kings. He was not retained by KKR for the 2022 season and went unsold at the subsequent player auction.
From 2021 onwards, he played for the London Spirit in The Hundred.
International career
Ireland Morgan made his One Day International debut for Ireland on 5 August 2006 at the European Championships against Scotland. He fell one run short of a century, scoring 99 before he was run out. It was the first time in ODI history that a player had been dismissed for 99 on debut. Only two other batters passed 20 as Ireland beat Scotland by 85 runs. Retrieved on 1 March 2007. His maiden ODI hundred came not long after, on 4 February 2007 against Canada in Nairobi. At the time, he was the youngest ever non-subcontinental player to make a century in ODI cricket, a record subsequently beaten by two other players. Retrieved on 1 March 2007.
Morgan was the first cricketer to score a first-class double century for Ireland, with an unbeaten 209 against the United Arab Emirates in February 2007 at Abu Dhabi. Retrieved on 1 March 2007. In February 2007, Morgan was named in Ireland's 15-man squad for the 2007 Cricket World Cup. Retrieved on 1 March 2007. Although Ireland performed well in the tournament, Morgan struggled personally, scoring just 91 runs from nine innings. In all, Morgan played in 23 ODIs for Ireland, scoring 744 runs at an average of 35.42.
England
On the fringes In 2010, Morgan told the Sunday Times that "From the age of 13, I wanted to play cricket for England. I’ve never felt any shame in saying this is what I wanted to do. And the people at home involved in cricket, they were like, 'Fair play, it's going to be unbelievable if you make it'. So I’ve never had any shame about this and my father's never had any shame about it." He has subsequently stated that his mother is English, and that he has held a British passport since birth. At the time, England was one of the ten full members of the International Cricket Council, while Ireland was an associate member; only full member nations can play a full schedule of international cricket, including Test matches. Ireland were subsequently admitted as full members in 2017.
In May 2007, Morgan was named as twelfth man for the Lord's Test versus West Indies, Retrieved 10 September 2008. and came on for Matthew Hoggard on the third day. Retrieved 10 September 2008. On 16 August 2008, Morgan represented the England Lions in a list A match against the touring South Africans. He scored 47* in an unbeaten partnership of 113 with Samit Patel in the course of England Lions securing a six wicket victory. Retrieved 18 August 2008. Morgan was part of the England Performance Programme squad in India in the winter of 2008, Retrieved 29 December 2008. although no matches were played as the tour was cancelled after the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Retrieved 30 November 2008. Morgan was also part of the England Lions for the winter tour of New Zealand. Retrieved 29 December 2008.
After touring with the England Lions over the winter, it was announced in April 2009 that Morgan was in England's 30-man provisional squad for the 2009 ICC World Twenty20. Retrieved on 9 April 2009. This meant that he could not play for Ireland, who were also participating in the tournament. While disappointed to be denied Morgan's batting, Irish cricket team manager Roy Torrens said "[Morgan's] made no secret of that fact [wanting to play Test cricket]. So you know, it's not totally unexpected to us. We realise this is always going to be a problem with our better players playing in England". Retrieved on 9 April 2009.
2009 West Indies, Australia and South Africa
Morgan's progression towards representing the senior England team continued when in May 2009 he was named in England's 14-man squad to face West Indies in a three-match ODI series and the 15-man squad for the World Twenty20. Retrieved on 1 May 2009. Retrieved on 1 May 2009. Morgan made his England debut in the second One Day International (after the first was abandoned due to rain), and also played in the third of the series. Morgan did not have much chance to impress with the bat, due to not coming in until late in the innings, making scores of 2 and 6 not out, but was praised for his athletic fielding.
Morgan played in the opening match of the World Twenty20 against the Netherlands, but after England's defeat, he played no further part in the tournament.
At the end of the English Summer, Morgan was involved in the ODI series against Australia. Although they had just lost the Ashes to England in the Test series, Australia won the first five games with Morgan one of few batters to emerge with any credit, including a first one-day half-century for England in the fifth match, winning praise with his innovative style.
In the first game of the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy, Morgan led England to an unexpected victory over much fancied Sri Lanka. He hit an unbeaten 62, and was well supported by Middlesex colleague Owais Shah. Morgan kept wicket for the first time in his professional career in the next match against South Africa, after regular wicket-keeper Matt Prior was struck down by illness. Morgan scored 67 runs from just 34 balls in England's innings.
In the ODI series against South Africa, Morgan was selected in the team for the second match of the series. He made 27 to help England secure a seven wicket victory. In the following match he was dismissed for a duck as South Africa secured a convincing victory, winning by 112 runs.
2010 Bangladesh, World T20, Australia and Pakistan
After making 33 in the first match of the ODI series in Bangladesh, he hit an unbeaten 110 to help England win the second ODI by two wickets, with innings earning him the man of the match award. He made 36 in the final match of the series, meaning he had scored 169 runs in the three matches he had played. Morgan was one of England's stand out batters in the series and his performances earned him praise from the media.