Eoin Morgan mulls stepping down as England captain due to injury woes

England skipper Eoin Morgan is contemplating stepping down as England’s ODI and T20I skipper due to a long-term back injury. Morgan has carved a special place in England’s glorious cricket history by becoming their first captain to win the 50-over World Cup. Morgan took charge of the England team in the wake of their disastrous exit at the 2015 World Cup. In the last four years, he has been the flag-bearer of England’s fearless brand of cricket.

England’s ODI team was in tatters when Morgan took over. But it did not take him long to transform the team into world beaters. With the passage of time, England grew from strength to strength and became arguably the most dangerous side in the world. They did well not only at home but also outside by winning ODI series in Australia and New Zealand. The journey reached its zenith when he led England to the World Cup glory this summer.

On their way to glory, England beat the likes of Australia and India before beating New Zealand in the final to create history. But it looks like the highly successful stint of Morgan as England captain can come to an end anytime soon. Morgan’s back injury is turning out to be his Achilles heel. He was unable to bat during the group-stage clash versus West Indies with a back spasm but managed to play every other game.

Recently, he missed the match against Sussex on August 9 in T20 Blast with a similar complaint. The signs are not at all promising and it would not be surprising if Morgan steps down soon. He, however, said that he would not take a decision in haste and needs ‘more time to think.’

“It’s a physical thing,” said Morgan as quoted by Wisden. “I need time to get back fit. I want to do it but I don’t want to let anyone down. I need more time to think, that’s the honest answer. It’s a big decision, a big commitment. Given the injury that I went through in the World Cup, I need time to get fully fit.”

“I need the season to end pretty soon so I can have that time to physically get fit and know it’s not an injury risk, then I’ll be able to make a call on it,” he added.

Eoin Morgan hopeful of leading in T20 WC 2020

Despite the injury woe, Eoin Morgan has said he would like to lead England in next year’s T20 World Cup.

“Absolutely. Who doesn’t?,” said Morgan when asked whether he would like to lead in next year’s tournament before adding: “Hopefully, that works itself out. As captain, you take a little bit more on board than probably just being a player.”