Indian cricketers relish competition, looking forward for 'The Hundred': Eoin Morgan

England and Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Eoin Morgan has said that Indian players cherish travelling and relish new opportunities across the world and hence they will love to be part of ECB’s ambitious tournament ‘The Hundred.’ 

However, he did not reveal the names of players he conversed it and hence it can’t be said that who are looking forward to playing in the newest format of the game.

“Just having conversations out here about ‘The Hundred’, I know that there are Indian cricketers out here who would love to play in The Hundred and other competitions around the world. They love travelling and experiencing new conditions and cultures, and they would add huge value to a tournament like that,” Morgan told Sky Sports Cricket. 

Morgan highlighted the growing disparity of wealth between leagues such as the IPL and international cricket that is fuelling many players to opt for lives outside of the international arena. He said that international cricket is not growing at a pace equal to leagues and hence teams are not being able to field their best playing XI as players are competing in T20 leagues. 

“My biggest worry is that the game isn’t changing and accommodating the pace at which it is growing. It is definitely an area of concern and one that needs improvement going forward because you play against countries and some aren’t able to play their best XIs because they are competing against big leagues around the world,” Morgan added.

Morgan opined that the issue will not be resolved on its own, and rather will only deepen with each passing year. He asked leaders and administrators of the game to envision the game going forward to avoid the situation of leagues dominating the preceding at the world level.

“Whoever is in charge needs to think about what that looks like in 10 years’ time because if they don’t manage it, franchise leagues around the world will become more dominant,” Morgan added.

Morgan also highlighted the missteps taken by administrations of the past that have overlapped the role of different formats of the game and hence cricket is not unlocking its full potential as a global sport. He said administrators have not been able to identify the roles of T20Is, ODIs and Test cricket on the overall development of sport for the next generation and hence there is an issue developing over scheduling and prioritisation of one format over other.

“One of the biggest mistakes we make as a sport is having all three formats overlap or not recognising the roles that they play within the game. T20 cricket is an avenue for a young kid who has never seen the game and sees this big shiny thing on TV with stars and the ball being blasted everywhere.

“50-over cricket has a different dynamic, it gives you a little bit of everything all in one day. Test match cricket is our most prestigious game for our elite players. It will always be like that and for very few countries around the world, it is prioritised,” Morgan weighed in.

Eoin Morgan led England to their maiden World Cup title in 2019 and will be leading them again in the two T20I World Cup scheduled to be played later this year and next year.