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2019 Cricket World Cup, Game 24, Afghanistan v England
Eoin Morgan faced fewer balls than Joe Root and made not far off twice as many runs. Joe Root made a very boring 88 at quicker than a run a ball. Eoin Morgan only hit four fours.
None of the above really makes sense and nor did Morgan’s unquenchable thirst for hitting the ball at someone – or something – in the stands. He did it 17 times. What was he aiming for?
Even in an era when milkshake has become many people’s weapon of choice, a cricket ball fired from a cricket bat is a very strange thing with which to set about someone.
The only thing we can think – and this is very much a working theory – is that there was someone in the temporary stand who’d somehow offended England’s captain. If you’ve seen the back of that stand, it’s a terrifyingly rickety scaffolding construction. You could definitely take the whole thing out if you managed to catch one of the lower supports with a firmly-hit lofted drive.
I was in the temporary stand, but it seemed to me that Morgan’s real ire was directed at those in the permanent seats – alternatively he was trying to hit the ball into the England dressing room to give Bairstow the catching practice he was clearly lacking later on in the game…
The Bairstow theory is probably the most credible we’ve got at this point.
The investigation continues.
That would imply that Bairstow might have fallen out with his captain. I would never believe that of any England batsman, and certainly not one from Yorkshire.
He’s annoyed at all the rain this summer, and was trying to disperse the clouds.
Attempted dispersal of rain clouds is an even more credible theory.
The investigation continues.
Maybe he heard someone in the crowd start singing ‘Cricket’s Coming Home’, and was trying to break their face.
Also credible.
Morgan has developed a hatred of built up structures and was trying to demolish the stadium.
We can at least prove or disprove this one given more matches and more evidence.
The problem is you’re thinking spatially, but Morgan was thinking temporally.
If he hit the ball into next week, the runs might count over for Tuesday’s clash with the Aussies too…
This is a good and believable idea.
Meanwhile, Phil Simmons is not only not renewing his contract as the coach of Afghanistan (which is his current job), he also took to twitter to castigate the ACB and said that after the WC he’ll tell all.