Eoin Morgan’s footprint will forever be imprinted in England cricket’s history.
The Dublin-born left-hander brought “cricket home” when he became the first England captain to raise the ICC Men’s World Cup trophy above his head on an unforgettable balmy Sunday at Lord’s in 2019.
But Morgan’s legacy goes far beyond delivering the Holy Grail. He revolutionised England’s approach to white-ball cricket, and provided the support, motivation and encouragement that has unleashed a whole new generation of young English cricketers who play the game without any fear.
And although the 36-year-old retired from international cricket midway through this year after 363 white-ball matches for England, it was his playbook that provided the platform for Jos Buttler’s team to annex the T20 World Cup in Australia last month.
Morgan and Buttler, along with fellow 2019 World Cup winner Jason Roy, will be reunited at the Paarl Royals next month for the inaugural SA20 season, and it’s this vast championship-winning experience that coach JP Duminy can rely on at Boland Park.
“I can’t wait. It’s unbelievably exciting coming back to a country that I love playing in, and have played quite a bit in for the last six/seven years,” Morgan said.
“To be teaming up with my very good friends, Jos Buttler and Jason Roy, is something I am looking forward to. But not only that, the tournament and the time of year, it’s over allows us all to bring our families and share the experience of not only touring a beautiful country, but also playing cricket’s most popular format.”