Eoin Morgan retires: "I will miss the adventure and challenges of playing professional cricket"

England's World Cup-winning captain, who revolutionised the way the white-ball game is both played and looked upon by supporters in England and Wales, confirmed his decision via a statement released on social media on Monday (February 13)

Eoin Morgan has announced his retirement from all cricket.

England's World Cup-winning captain, who revolutionised the way the white-ball game is both played and looked upon by supporters in England and Wales, confirmed his decision via a statement released on social media on Monday (February 13).

Within it, he said that he has "cherished every moment".

"Thanks to cricket, I have been able to travel the world and meet incredible people, many of whom I have developed lifelong friendships with," the statement read.

"I will undoubtedly miss the adventure and challenges of playing professional cricket."

^{Eoin Morgan has retired from all cricket [Getty Images]}

^{Morgan confirmed his decision on February 13 [Getty Images]}

Morgan played 102 first-class matches, 379 List A games and 374 T20s across a near 20-year career. At the time of his retirement, he is England's leading ODI runscorer (6,957), and the country's second highest in T20Is (2,458). He made hundreds in both Test and ODI cricket.

Having stepped up to the England captaincy months before the doomed 2015 World Cup campaign, it was Morgan who drove the change in mindset around England's white-ball setup, leading to victory in the home tournament four years later.

Alongside head coach Trevor Bayliss, he instigated innate self-belief and fearlessness within the England squad. 

A staunch advocate of the benefits of franchise cricket, his influence is visible in the number of English players travelling the world to play in the IPL, Big Bash, CPL, PSL, SA20, ILT0 and other short-format competitions. 

He played in almost all of them, as well as spending 18 seasons on the books of Middlesex, for whom he left Ireland in 2005. His long list of former clubs include Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Barbados Tridents, Sydney Thunder, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kings XI Punjab, Peshawar Zalmi, Paarl Royals and Karachi Kings.

He led London Spirit in the first two seasons of The Hundred.

^{Morgan left Ireland for Middlesex in 2005 [Getty Images]}

^{He has played for franchises around the world, including Kolkata Knight Riders [Getty Images]}

In his retirement statement, Morgan credited the support of his wife Tara, his family and closest friends.

"I must also thank all my teammates, coaches and fans, and those behind the scenes who not only made me the player I became but also made me the man I have become," he said.

"Playing for franchise teams across the globe has given me so many memories that I will hold onto forever."

Morgan will continue his transition into broadcasting following his retirement, having already been a regular feature on Sky Sports coverage of white-ball cricket in the six months since he stepped back from international cricket. He will no doubt spend plenty of time watching horses, too.

"I am sincerely looking forward to what the future holds," he said in his statement.

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