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Cricketers on their milestones

Eoin Morgan

'I didn't forgive my dad for two weeks'

Eoin Morgan found out the hard way that being related to the umpire doesn't help

Interview by Nagraj Gollapudi

April 22, 2012

Comments: 21 | Text size: A | A

Eoin Morgan, Jonny Bairstow and Steven Finn catch up with the tennis, Dubai, February 22, 2012
Eoin Morgan (left): enjoys the sledging of others © AFP
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Teams: England

First bat
Gray-Nicolls Scoop 2000 Brian Lara edition. Lara was my favourite batsman by miles. I have met him and he is quite a chilled guy, did not really say a lot. My favourite Lara shot would probably be his pull or when he use to play spin. He used to come down and hit it straight over the bowler's head, and he was so quick on his feet, he was ridiculous. At the moment I play with the Slazenger V-360 and carry about six in my kitbag.

First sledge I remember
One of the funniest came during one of my first Championship games for Middlesex. Paul Weekes was batting with me. Stuart Law, the former Australian allrounder, was standing at first slip to a spinner. Weekes edged and was caught behind but not given out. Everybody from the opposition came together. I walked to join Weekes halfway down the pitch. Law quipped to Weekes, "You should've walked". Weekes turned around and said, "I'm not doing any favours, mate". Law shot back immediately: "You do when you bowl, mate."

First cruel umpiring decision
My dad gave me lbw, and I'd hit it actually, when I was playing Under-10 cricket. I did not forgive him for, like, two or three weeks.

First reverse-swept six
I was playing a game at Essex years ago when I reverse-swept a left-arm spinner for six. It was a Twenty20 match, and I was not even trying to play a premeditated shot. I never tried to hit a reverse-swept six ever in nets.

First autograph
It was one of those tall West Indies fast bowlers who had come to play Bangladesh in Dublin during the 1999 World Cup.

Nagraj Gollapudi is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

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© ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Posted by the_blue_android on (April 22, 2012, 19:33 GMT)

@the_wallster -They are not that good. It's just a numbers game. If you try to do something 100 times, I'm sure two or 3 out of those are bound to be good.

Posted by   on (April 22, 2012, 17:54 GMT)

there is actually a possibility that it wasn't a west indian player, I was at that match and a lot of us younger people actually ended up getting the autograph of a person who was watching the match but also happened to be very tall and from the West Indies.

Posted by Sehwag_Is_Ordinary on (April 22, 2012, 17:40 GMT)

gotta be Bryan, all others are known

Posted by   on (April 22, 2012, 16:33 GMT)

I bet it was Cameron Cuffy - he would have remembered Walsh or Ambrose.

Posted by SportsObserver on (April 22, 2012, 15:52 GMT)

It was 1999 and Morgan was only 12 years old then. It's not surprising that he did not know all the WI bowlers, may be he could have learned his name afterwards, Atleast he should not have said it the way he did, he also could have clarified it. he made it sound funny! Can not blame us for having some fun at his expense! Nothing serious! He is a good batsman though, Its a shame Ireland lost him.

Posted by segga-express on (April 22, 2012, 15:51 GMT)

Maybe he got all of them but just can't remember which player was first on the list?

Posted by AdrianVanDenStael on (April 22, 2012, 15:17 GMT)

Well my guess is it would probably be Hendy Bryan. Although Morgan would only have been 13 at the time, I think he'd have remembered if he'd got Ambrose or Walsh's autograph. He surely would have remembered if he'd got Phil Simmons' autograph too since surely a few years later he Simmons would have been working together on the Irish team ... ? Merv Dillon, fairly accomplished bowler, Reon King, about the same; but Hendy Bryan? No disrespect to Mr Bryan intended, but I must say that his international career completely passed me by. I think if I'd got Hendy Bryan's autograph in 1999 I'd struggle to remember getting the autograph at all, let alone remember the guy's name.

Posted by Ibra95 on (April 22, 2012, 15:02 GMT)

COME ON!!! IS ESPN CRIC INFO THAT CHANGED THE NAME OF THE PLAYER!!!!!!!!

Posted by Zahidsaltin on (April 22, 2012, 14:59 GMT)

He was Colin Croft guys. Morgen just found out and called me to tell. Actually it was morgans mom who had kept that autograph in her suitcase for all those years.

Posted by MartinC on (April 22, 2012, 14:41 GMT)

I remember my Dad giving me out LBW when I was about 15. I was in the 80's at the time and eyeing up my first ever 100 in men's cricket. I was trying to sweep an off spinner and it MIGHT just have hit a second set.

Afterwards I told him it was missing and he said 'I know, but I was a terrible shot, hit the spinners straight back over their head'.

I reminder we did not say much for a few days and I recall it like it was yesterday. Not that I hold a grudge or anything.

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