How an Irishman changed the face of English Cricket and transformed them into World Cup winners

You may or may not have heard of Eoin Morgan. He is the Irish International Cricketer, who transferred his allegiances to English Cricket. Four years ago he was installed as the English Captain with the team in disarray. Yesterday evening he lifted the Cricket World Cup at Lords for the first time. To put his achievement into context, England hadn't won a sudden death one day World Cup cricket match in 27 years. 

I listened to a short interview he did with former England Captain Michael Vaughan the week before the tournament started. It detailed the team's journey from “no hopers” to become the “benchmark” for others to aspire. If you have an interest in transformational change, I recommend you download the podcast and listen to the role he played in changing the culture of English cricket. I have taken some key quotes from the interview and provided some additional context below:

#CaseforChange - "We recognised we were so far off the mark we needed to change things drastically" (timed in the podcast - 4 mins 52 seconds)

Any significant change requires a catalyst. England got this at the 2015 World Cup in Australia. For the sixth successive tournament, they failed. Both Eoin and Andrew Strauss (the then Director of English Cricket) recognised England "had been humiliated" and "needed to change things drastically". England was playing a brand of cricket that was light years behind other teams. In a batting dominated game, they needed to average 300+ runs per game. In the previous 644 games they had managed this just 34 times. The challenge was clear.

#ChangeVision - We targeted "people with the capacity to learn and to continue to get better" (7 mins: 15 sec)

England hadn't kept pace with the other nations. They set about creating a new attacking style of play that was counter to the cautious defensive approach favoured by previous England teams. The new path was clear, “fun cricket” was the answer, providing individuals played attacking cricket, they would be encouraged.

He recognised to deliver this new ‘approach’ and to win consistently they needed to find the type of player "who when under pressure their default position is aggression". Out went the old guard, experienced players were replaced by individuals who's had a "capacity to learn" and who would go on the attack when cornered. It didn't matter who the opposition was they would aim to score runs at a quicker rate and take more wickets.

#ConsistencyOfMessage - "That's the way we play that's the way we will continue to play" (10 mins 30 seconds)

The first match after the 2015 World Cup was a watershed moment for this new approach. England picked a new team and had a new plan and was rewarded immediately. They thrashed New Zealand, playing a brand of cricket that the New Zealand's Captain Brendon McCullum had initially pioneered. Early results showed promise, but praise wasn't universal. The style of play was initially labelled “one-dimensional”, after one particular defeat to Australia, his response to the criticism was "That's the way we play, and that is the way we will continue to play". This would be a consistent message of this New England team, they wouldn't deviate from the plan they had created.

#ChangeJourney - "Changing our method would take time" (12 mins 01 seconds)

Eoin recognised that change takes time. He argued that early decisions "were not results-based" and believed that the right team selection and method would work eventually. England had 87 games to change how they played. Eoin kept a diary and noted how the team played in all conditions, against all teams and refined his approach accordingly. Performances improved, team selection solidified, going into the World Cup they were #1in the world and had a higher runs scored average than other teams.

#Leadership - "I don't think about being a leader - I think about being myself" (16 mins 37 seconds)

When asked what type of leader he is, he said he "did not think about it, I think about being myself". His response is reflected by how he has responded to challenging situations over the past four years. He dealt with the criticism of his refusal to tour Bangladesh due to safety concerns, the removal of a key player because of recreational drug use. He also coped with Englands potential early exit in this World Cup, the team regrouped, went back to basics and came back stronger. Each event was dealt with in the same honest, pragmatic and open manner.

#TeamCulture - "everyone knows their role, trusts it, believes in it and wants to go out and enjoy it" (19 mins 55 seconds)

The irony was that yesterday, England didn't win playing attacking cricket, they played with the flexibility to adapt to a different type of cricket. He indicated, because the team have got used to being "favourites" and through their experiences they have "templates for different match situations". He viewed the World Cup as "an opportunity" and believed each player knew their role and would have the confidence to adapt regardless of the situation. Both Eoin and the coaching team deserve immense credit for creating the culture to allow a talented team to reach their potential.

Finally...

While others have played a significant role, Eoin is the one constant in the transformation of English one day cricket. I believe without his calm, assured, and honest approach, England would not have won the World Cup. Anyone embarking on any significant change would do well to listen to Eoin and how he approached his particular challenge. I hope that when he retires, he will return to coach or manage Irish cricket. Perhaps he will inspire the next generation of Irish cricketers who can learn from his experiences and undoubted ability. Maybe they won't need to leave to fulfil their potential.