England captain Eoin Morgan has confirmed that he is retiring from international cricket with immediate effect.
The 35-year-old, who skippered England to the 2019 World Cup, recently posted successive ducks during the 50-over series with the Netherlands after struggling through injury.
That led to the veteran withdrawing from the third and final fixture, resulting in speculation regarding his longevity in the team at what is the start of a new era for English cricket.
On the back of reports suggesting that his retirement from the international stage was imminent, Morgan has now confirmed that he is hanging up his bat.
Speaking to the official ECB website, Morgan said: "After careful deliberation and consideration, I am here to announce my retirement from international cricket with immediate effect.
© Reuters
"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.
You've changed English cricket forever.
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 28, 2022
An innovator 🏏 A motivator 💪 A champion 🏆
Your legacy will live on...#ThankYouMorgs ❤️ pic.twitter.com/a32SSvCDXI
Morgan ends his stint with England holding runs and appearance records for his country, the Middlesex batsman having made 225 outings in one-day internationals and 115 in T20 fixtures.
He went into the series with the Netherlands just 43 runs short of reaching 7,000 in one-day internationals, and he will now remain on 6,957 runs.
Morgan's crowning moment came in 2019 as England won the World Cup with a dramatic super-over victory over New Zealand in the final.
During that tournament, Morgan scored 371 runs, with 148 of them coming against Afghanistan in an innings which featured 17 sixes.
While an announcement on his successor is yet to be made, Jos Buttler is expected to be named as his replacement later this week.
Darren Plant
