If I Don't feel I Am Contributing To The Team, Then I Will Finish - Eoin Morgan On Retirement
By Tamia Kumar
Published - 16 Jun 2022, 03:38 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:08 AM
England white-ball captain Eoin Morgan said he would call time on his international career when he feels like unable to contribute to the team. With 246 ODIs and 115 T20 Internationals appearances, Morgan is the most decorated white-ball player in the England cricket team.
The Dublin-born cricketer led England to their maiden title in the 50-over format after they beat New Zealand on boundary count in the 2019 World Cup final.
Eoin Morgan struggling with the bat
Morgan has been leading the white-ball side in both formats for close to a decade and is often credited for the success after England was in turmoil when they failed to qualify for the knockout stage in the 2015 World Cup.
Morgan is facing a lean patch with his batting as we haven’t seen the best of him for more than a year. The England skipper’s batting average in the shortest format has been dipping with every year passing, recording 16.67 in 2021.
Early in January, Morgan played the first two T20I matches against West Indies but was subsequently ruled out of the five-match series owing to a quad injury. Former England captain Michael Vaughan suggested wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler should take over the reins from Morgan in limited-overs cricket.
I wouldn’t be doing the team or myself any favours: Eoin Morgan
Morgan said he won’t stretch his career after a point when he realises his form isn’t making any difference to the team. The England captain also mentioned his international cricket journey has been a roller-coaster ride and will regain form in a matter of time.
“I would love to say I am finishing here or there and that’s it. I would love to work like that, but the way my body is at the moment, I can’t work like that. If I injured myself tomorrow and it was going to be quite a prolonged injury, then I wouldn’t be doing the team or myself any favours if I still held on to a commitment to finish at a certain point,” Morgan told Sky Sports.
“If I don’t think I am good enough or I don’t feel I am contributing to the team, then I will finish. That’s just the way I am and I hope that rubs off on the team. Your leader doesn’t have to be selfless; they can be whoever he or she wants to be, but I feel this is a better way of doing things.
“I know I will come back into form at some stage. The cycle throughout my career has been a complete rollercoaster, so it’s nothing strange,” he added.
England will play the Netherlands in three ODI matches with a complete white-ball squad under Morgan, at a time when their Test team is playing New Zealand at home. The first ODI starts on June 17 at VRA Cricket Ground in Amstelveen.
