Yahoo News Exclusive: England captain Eoin Morgan lined up as overseas player in inaugural Euro T20 Slam
Eoin Morgan is being lined up as an overseas player in the inaugural Euro T20 Slam, a T20 competition featuring franchises from Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands which launches in August.
Morgan, the England captain in both one-day international and Twenty20 cricket, would be a significant boost to the league as it looks to establish its presence in the saturated T20 market.
The Euro T20 Slam is confident of signing Morgan, who was born and grew up in Dublin. This would open up the possibility of Morgan representing the Dublin franchise in the league.
“We will be delighted to have English captain Eoin Morgan as a part of our league,” said Amit Singh from Woods Entertainment, the promoter of the league. “If the Irish-born cricketer gets picked by the Dublin franchise, it would be like icing on the cake. Saying that, the dynamics of the draft can take him to other teams as well.”
Morgan played 23 ODIs for Ireland before switching to England in 2009. He has since led England to victory in three ODIs in Ireland.
Telegraph Sport also understands that AB de Villiers, the former South Africa cricketer who is still regarded as one of the best T20 players in the world, is being lined up by the league. Signings already confirmed include Brendon McCullum, Rashid Khan, Shahid Afridi and Shane Watson.
The first season of the Euro T20 Slam begins on August 30, and runs to September 22. Due to the World Cup, there are no England limited-overs matches in September, which could free up Morgan to play.
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While Morgan appeared for Middlesex in their first two County Championship matches of the summer, he is not an automatic selection in their four-day team. The Euro T20 League organisers are hopeful that Morgan may be relieved from first-class commitments for the duration of the league. Even if he is not, Morgan could still be able to play a number of games.
The group stages of the T20 Blast finish on August 30, the same day as the Euro T20 League. Were Middlesex to progress to the knockout stages - the quarter-finals are from September 4-7, with finals day on September 21 - Morgan could continue to play for the county in these matches, and play in the Euro T20 League alongside.
