England's Eoin Morgan announces retirement from International cricket

England's white-ball skipper Eoin Morgan on Tuesday (June 28) has officially announced his retirement from international cricket.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed that Morgan has decided to retire immediately from international cricket.

"After careful deliberation and consideration, I am here to announce my retirement from international cricket with immediate effect," said Eoin Morgan as quoted by the ECB.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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”.

Morgan will continue to play domestic cricket and be available to play franchise cricket around the globe. He's excited and really "looking forward" to leading London Spirit in the upcoming second edition of The Hundred.

"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 made his international debut for Ireland, but then he switched to England for professional growth. In his 13-year international career with England, he won two world titles with the English side - the T20 World Cup in 2010 and the 2019 men's cricket World Cup. The left-handed batter finishes his career as the all-time leading run-scorer and most-capped England's men player in both ODI and T20I games. However, England's most successful white-ball cricketer had a short run in Test cricket as he could only play 16 Tests over three years.

The Managing Director of England Men's Cricket Rob Key thanked Morgan for his services and wished him luck for the next chapter of his career.

"On behalf of the ECB and everyone involved in cricket, I'd like to thank Eoin Morgan for his outstanding contribution to the game. It will be wrong to think Eoin's legacy was just winning the World Cup in 2019; it is far greater than that," Rob Key said on Morgan's retirement.

"As with all great players and leaders, he has changed the way the game has been played, and he has changed the way an entire generation and generations to come will play this form of the game. His legacy within the game will be felt for many years to come.

"He is, without question, the best leader I have seen. I wish him well in the next chapter of his career."