Eoin Morgan and England Cricket

[SoccerCynic]

Does anyone know how Morgan qualifies to play for England? Dont get me wrong, I am delighted..what a delight to watch.

[Grecian2000]

Because England, as such, is really Britain from a Cricketing point of view. It is actually run by the England and Wales Cricket board.

Tony Lewis (Welsh), Mike Deness (Scottish and distinctly average) and the South Africans Tony Greig and Kevin Pietersen have all captained the side in the last 40 years.

[Mousey]

I think it is because he plays cricket for a nation that does not have Test status. And because he plays his cricket in the ECB leagues then he qualifies for England.

Imagine it to playing for England schoolboys but then playing for Wales. Because Morgan has not played at the highest level for Ireland he is free to do it for another country.

As is my understanding anyway.

[brownie]

I think the ruling for Irish players is they have to play for 4 years in the county championship to qualify for England, and it doesn't matter if he has played one day stuff for Ireland as they are a non-test playing nation.

[SoccerCynic]

Thanks guys. I just have trouble getting my head round someone playing for a country where there is no connection by birth. I see though that this would mean that some great players would never play on the world stage. Happy though he is playing for us. Does this now bar him for playing say for Australia is he was to go and play there for a few years? Guess not!

[happyhippy]

Does this now bar him for playing say for Australia is he was to go and play there for a few years? Guess not!

Yes it does. The only country he could play for in the Test arena would be Ireland if we were ever afforded Test status. Which isn't likely as there is no professional set up in Ireland. There is another issue as well, which is that Cricket Ireland straddles two sovereign nations, just as the IRFU does.

It would be unfair to allow a player born in the Six Counties to play for England, and not a teammate who was born in the Republic, especially as "England" in cricketing terms is de facto the UK, if not simply the British and Irish Isles. Neither Eoin Morgan nor Ed Joyce had to serve the four year (it was seven years ages ago - cf. Graeme Hick) qualification time. If I remember correctly.

[JohnDenver]

Fabulous innings today. Composed, innovative, nerveless, quick running, and even quicker hands.

Good lad.

[moDtheGod]

Not so sharp today, though

[norfolkblade]

The damage was done yesterday though, top guy, pleased for him, deserves a crack at test level IMO

[happyhippy]

Bloody hell! 47/6!