England’s limited-overs skipper Eoin Morgan will lead the London Spirit men’s team, while Heather Knight was named captain of their women’s side for the inaugural edition of The Hundred, the franchise announced on Wednesday.
Morgan led England to its maiden men’s one-day World Cup title in July this year. The 33-year-old is England’s top run-scorer and the most capped cricketer in ODIs and T20Is.
“I can’t wait to get started as captain of the London Spirit men’s team. It’s going to be a hugely exciting new competition and I’m looking forward to being a part of it,” Morgan said in a statement.
“As a player and a captain I am always looking for ways to improve and it’s clear from speaking to Shane - who has an amazing cricket brain, about everything from tactics in this new competition to how to get the best from our squad - that this is an exciting opportunity to take cricket forward.” he added.
Morgan will work alongside spin legend Shane Warne, who will serve as the men’s head coach for the team and the Australian was delighted to announce the union.
“I am over the moon to have Eoin as our captain. He has had a truly unforgettable year and we all know that he is an outstanding leader. I believe he can give our team the edge in The Hundred,” Warne said.
Knight famously led England to their fourth Women’s World Cup triumph at Lord’s in 2017.
She is also one of England’s most successful batters and has considerable short format experience, captaining Western Storm to two titles in the Kia Super League under the guidance of coach Trevor Griffin.
“I’m really looking forward to captaining the London Spirit women’s team. With the new format there’s going to be the chance to have a real tactical input as a captain and I’m excited to work that out and also bring together a new team in a new competition,” Knight said.
She will be reunited with Griffin, who was announced as the head coach of the women’s team.
“It’s an honour to be appointed as Head Coach of the women’s London Spirit team and I am thrilled to announce Heather as our captain,” Griffin said.
The Hundred, starting in 2020, is a new tournament consisting of eight city-based franchise sides, breaking away from the traditional county system.
Teams will bat for 100 balls each. Overs, normally consisting of six deliveries, will last for 10 balls with bowlers either bowling five or 10 balls consecutively.
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