England's World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan retires from international cricket

Eoin Morgan, England's World Cup-winning captain, has retired from international cricket, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Tuesday.

Morgan brought curtains down to his 13-year international career with England with immediate effect. Under Morgan's captaincy, England ended their long wait to finally have hands on the coveted Cricket World Cup trophy. Morgan and Co defeated New Zealand in the final to lift the World Cup in 2019, becoming only the third side to win the prestigious tournament at home.

The 35-year-old batsman started his international career with Ireland in 2006. He played 23 ODIs for the Irish side before moving to England in 2009. He was also part of the England team that won the 2010 ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean.

In an official statement, Morgan thanked his family for their "unconditional support" throughout his cricketing journey. He also said that he believed now is the right time to retire, "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," said Morgan in the statement.

Morgan, who represented England 356 times from 2009 to 2022, also said that England's white-ball future is "brighter than ever" right now.

"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.

"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," added Morgan, who is retiring as one of the most successful English white-ball captains.

In 248 ODIs for England, Morgan scored 6,957 runs at an average of 39.29, including 14 centuries and 47 fifties. He even played 16 Tests for the English side, scoring 700 runs at an average of 30.43. He recorded two centuries and three fifties in the longest format.

Under Morgan's captaincy, England reached the semi-final of the T20 World Cup in 2021 but lost to New Zealand.