Legend has it that when the famous explorer, privateer, Sir Henry Morgan of Wales returned to Jamaica from an expedition in the Spanish Main, the Caribbean Island, his base benefitted with the riches that had been plundered.

Though the raids were what allowed Morgan to purchase flourishing sugar plantations later, the amount of work and profits generated here, resulting from Morgan’s uncompromising will benefitted the most famous Caribbean island.

That was then; a famous Welsh captain benefitting from the raids on another’s territory, running home, although not a land of his nativity to blossom for self, thus leading for betterment of others.

But now there is another Morgan amongst us.

Much like his namesake, the current English captain, Eoin Morgan is also traditionally an outsider. The central difference is that the unit he represents and the identity he determinedly exudes. While explorer, conqueror Henry Morgan hailed from Wales, England’s current captain hails from Ireland.

Interestingly, while both don’t belong to England, their legends hold importance for her Majesty’s dominion, particularly in Eoin’s case, a phenomenon hitherto less-talked about with hopefully a long career ahead of him.

Here’s what the new Captain Morgan’s latest plundering in home seas look like.

In the ongoing Champions Trophy 2017, Morgan has scored a fiery but fluent 87 against Australia and a mini blitzkrieg of 75 against Bangladesh, in the campaign opener for the hosts.

More important to Morgan’s current form is the tone of consistency that he’s set to his innings, a phenomenon coinciding England’s premier bat - Joe Root- wielding his willow with rich aplomb.

Make no mistake; Eoin Morgan’s recent Champion’s Trophy form, wherein, he’s already gathered 175 runs from 3 games, including an unbeaten match-winning fifty epitomizes his 2017 run where he’s already gathered 719 runs from just 14 innings.

And, with half a year to go, where one could reasonably predict the lashings that Morgan’s willow can unfurl, it also brings about a twinge of surprise of how little has been made or heard about the English captain’s form.

Some perspective on Morgan’s batting highs

Nearly half of his 5739 career runs, up to the game against Australia, have come in the last 5 years. When you break them down further, the numbers behind the gritty but suave player reveal the following:

From 92 innings starting 2013, Morgan’s willow has hammered 3134 of his 5739 career runs.

For someone who debuted in 2006, when the likes of a flashy enigmatic Lara and the delightful Sangakkara were around, Morgan also struck his personal best of an unbeaten 124 in this period.

Thankfully, the unflappable left-hander, clothed in bright reds was able to distinguish himself from very familiar opponents, decked in greens and one, whose jersey bore Ireland’s name on that blistering evening at Malahide, Dublin as along with Ravi Bopara’s 101*, Morgan, with an ODI best of 124* bettered his own.

It hasn’t been all hunky dory.

Calm and collected, seldom seeming perturbed by a crisis situation, myriad advantages emanate from the personality of the laconic bloke, who brings a sense of renewed vigor in the English camp, drawing from the powerful presence of Ben Stokes and Joe Root

For someone who, at 13, declared his incessant desire to represent English Cricket and made it quite far evidently, it would be untrue to suggest that Morgan’s run has been always a pleasurable one.

Assuming the English captaincy right before the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, it didn’t help that Morgan, who had promised a dynamic run in a tri-series featuring India and Australia right before the prestigious tournament, made scores of 2, naught and naught.

In easily England’s most harrowing world cup campaign, the ghastly 2015 ODI World Cup, Morgan’s bat failed to do the talking. Morgan, combined with Stokes and other batsmen’s failures, save Joe, were the Root cause of England’s early ouster.

But the period thereafter saw steady pummeling by Eoin Morgan’s blade that on current form, stands at par with their best batsmen’s form.

A memorable 88 of just 47 in New Zealand’s surprise win over England in 2015 was a primer to the belting that Morgan would offer tourists Australia during his team’s loss in the 5 ODI series where scores of 85 off 87 at Lord’s, followed by 92 in as many balls at Headingley, Leeds eased the hurt caused by the Aussies’ 3-2 win.

Here’s what Morgan ought to do

As the baton of the world’s best batsmen remains with elite willow-wielders Kohli, Williamson, Root etc., there seems to be constant knocking on the doors where Cricket’s current best lot party, in their bid to multiply this coveted competition of sorts.

Just who are these guys?

It could be argued that now, with the likes of a David Warner exulting form with might, a certain Eoin Joseph Gerrard Morgan seems keen to step in as well. But that might be possible only with continued consistency, something the Irish-born English leader can demonstrate and has been, of late, as a matter of fact.

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