For many the enduring image of Eoin Morgan will be that of him raising the World Cup at Lord’s after England’s unforgettable triumph over New Zealand in 2019. For some it will be the vision of him carving a hapless bowler over wide mid-on for six. For others it will be of him stood calmly scratching his chin whilst talking tactics with a bowler at the end of his run up.
For me there are two contrasting representations, both when Eoin was captaining England. The first is of Eoin sat on the roller rolling the square at Totteridge Millhillians Cricket Club. The second is of the two of us having a chat at the Orange Tree, a popular pub approx. 400 metres from Totteridge Millhillians Cricket Club.
The public images and pronouncements of Eoin will present him as an iconic, global superstar; a man who single-handedly grabbed hold of an underperforming rabble and guided them to unexpected and unparalleled success. The legend of his achievement will grow and in 20 years-time he may well be viewed in a similar way to Mike Brearley, another thoughtful, private and successful man of Middlesex.
Eoin’s accomplishments with England are undisputed and he will rightly be lauded as one of England’s finest captains. The perspectives I have of him are far less glamorous because there is far more to Eoin than that portrayed by the media, and they are characteristics that are presented in the images I mention above.
The first highlights two things to me – Eoin’s deep love of the game and his commitment to work with and help a mate out.
You do not have to spend much time in the company of Eoin’s father Jody to see where Eoin’s love of cricket comes from. The devotion is further emphasized when you learn that Eoin travelled from Dublin to London at the age of 16 to pursue his dream. His parents ensured that he was well looked after by Middlesex and the family in Finchley he stayed with, but nobody should underestimate the levels of commitment and determination this move showed.
Shaun O’Brien was the mate Eoin was helping out at Totteridge Millhillians. The pair first met at Lord’s when Eoin arrived in London and remain incredibly close. Shaun was on the MCC Groundstaff but that was as far as his professional career took him. Shaun works in cricket as a coach. He has also looked after and prepared the Totteridge Millhillians ground, with, of course, regular help from Eoin.
Eoin has and will continue to travel the world but he is incredibly loyal to his close and relatively small group of friends. There are some who misconstrue Eoin’s natural wariness of people he doesn’t really know and the fact he is emotionally quite guarded as a sign that he is quite cold and calculated.
These traits do make it hard for people to get to know him but he is naturally a shy and modest man. Eoin is far from flashy and is not really interested in the houses, cars and watches that many successful people like to show off. Rarely does he talk of his achievements; he seems to get more pleasure from listening to and laughing at other people’s stories rather than telling his own.
I still don’t know whether some of his characteristics are deliberate or not but they have helped create an aura around him. They are also 1) a pretty good natural defence mechanism and 2) allow him to appear calm and in control when pandemonium is taking place around him.
If you are amongst his group of friends, which I am fortunate to be, I believe, he is incredibly loyal and generous, but he needs to trust you to let you in.
One of Eoin’s closest friends is Brendon McCullum and the influence Brendon has had on him should not be underestimated. It was interesting this morning to briefly look at the comments below a news item announcing Eoin’s retirement from cricket. The gist of the contributions was that England’s Test team, under the leadership of McCullum and Ben Stokes, had copied the approach instilled in England’s all-conquering white ball side by Eoin.
Unfortunately these sentiments are not quite true. Eoin, undoubtedly, put a twist on the way he ran things with England but it was McCullum who inspired and encouraged him to get his team to play the way they did. McCullum is a good man and I am sure he is one of the first people Eoin turns to when he needs advice or support.
This trust was further developed when Andrew Strauss became England’s managing Director of Cricket and Trevor Bayliss was appointed Head Coach. The playing time spent together at Middlesex would have ensured the relationship between Eoin and Andrew was strong, and Trevor is one of the most honest and trustworthy guys you will meet.
And trust was probably the reason why he opened up to me at the Orange Tree pub. To the outside world Eoin may seem to wear an almost bullet-proof cloak. He emits a persona that nothing really gets to him. But, like the rest of us, he is at times vulnerable and the conversations I had with him were when the expectations and responsibility of captaining England were wearing him down. Fortunately, it was only a temporary period of self-doubt and questioning.
Confidence and stubbornness can be quite close bedfellows and Eoin can be bloody stubborn, as he was once at a team barbecue at my house. In the early hours of the morning, possibly fueled by a couple of glasses of red wine, a discussion about who were the better band – U2 or the Foo Fighters – got lively. All someone said was they preferred the Foo Fighters to U2, which Eoin took as a slander to the history of Ireland. Even the next day, when the dust had settled, he wouldn’t have it that someone could hold such a view. What this silly little dispute highlights is that Eoin is a man of conviction. If he believes in something, he will back his judgement right to the end.
When Eoin opted to play for England it was not something that was greeted with joy in Ireland. And whilst his Irishness, like that of several other players from across the Irish Sea – Ed Joyce, Andrew Balbirnie and Paul Stirling – has always been embraced and enjoyed by Middlesex’s staff, I do not believe it is something every England supporter bought in to too.
When it was announced that Eoin was England’s official white ball captain – I was an England selector at the time – several leading comments were made to me about our decision and, sadly, I have, from some people, at times sensed a slightly begrudging respect for his achievements. If the discrimination he faced hurt him he has not let it show, and it would have undoubtedly influenced his desire to make his England team as inclusive and welcoming as he could.
It was on this cocktail of values and experiences that his England team were built, and during his time in charge there have been so many instances of these characteristics shining through.
He didn’t accept the England captaincy immediately and kept us waiting until he felt he could trust the people he was working with. He sought advice from and surrounded himself with good people. He defended and continued with the tactics of the squad when the media and public were questioning them. He did not allow his friendship with Kevin Pietersen to influence the vision he had for the team. He backed players through difficult periods when there were calls for them to be dropped. He omitted players that let him and the group down. He had tears in his eyes when he walked off Lord’s for the final time wearing a Middlesex shirt. His dressing room contained a group of people that truly reflected the diversity of cricket in this country.
So, when a situation arises when so many things come together, it is hardly surprising that success is achieved.
Thankfully Eoin’s love for the game means he will continue to be seen and heard at cricket grounds. Commentating and punditry looks like being his immediate area of expertise but I would not rule out him once again looking to enact a good game rather than just talk one.
