'I believe now is the right time to do so' - Eoin Morgan on his international retirement decision

England’s white-ball skipper Eoin Morgan announced his retirement from international cricket on Tuesday (June 28). He hinted at his future prior to the recently won three-match ODI series against the Netherlands, where he was dismissed for consecutive ducks in the first two matches and missed the third match due to a minor groin injury. Morgan has struggled with injury and fitness issues in the last few months which eventually led to his retirement.

The 35-year-old batter guided England to their first-ever ODI World Cup win in 2019 and to the finals of the T20 World Cup in 2016. He holds the unique world record of hitting the most sixes, 17, in an ODI inning. He smashed a 57-ball century against Afghanistan in 2019, England’s fastest World Cup hundred. Morgan’s journey with England, especially as a captain, has been remarkable and the player admitted that it wasn’t an easy decision to call time on his international career.

“To call time on what has been without a 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.

“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 said in his retirement post on the ECB website.

The future for England’s white-ball teams is brighter than ever: Eoin Morgan

England have been impressive in white-ball cricket and rank 2nd in both ICC ODI and T20I team chart. But Morgan believes that the current side has more strength and depth than ever before and predicted a brighter future.

“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,” he added.

Eoin Morgan cleared his future plans as well and will continue playing a domestic T20 tournament The Hundred with London Spirit this season. He will also join Sky Sports and will be part of their commentary team for England’s upcoming white-ball series against India and South Africa.

“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,” Morgan added.