Harare Hurricanes captain Eoin Morgan is understandably delighted after his team secured its first win in the Zim Afro T10 against the Durban Qalandars and said that sometimes getting off the mark is the hardest thing.
Morgan talked about the challenges a newly assembled franchise has to overcome quickly and how they need to adapt to extract the best performance out of each player.
“It’s often the hardest thing to start winning. You get together with a new group of players and a new team in its first year of the tournament so trying to get a win under your belt is extremely important,” the former England captain said after his team’s win in a high-scoring clash at the Harare Sports Club on Sunday.
“We have continued to improve since the first game. So, the signs are good. We asked the players to be adaptable every day so that we turn up to play in the tournament with a fluid mindset. The guys have done that and it has resulted in us getting some points on the board at a really important time,” Morgan said.
The former English cricketer went on to talk about how the tournament is going to benefit Zimbabwe cricket and the sport as a whole on the global level.
“First and foremost, I love this format of cricket. To start with the tournament is an initiative that puts grassroots cricket at the forefront. So, I like it, because the more focus there is on infrastructure and impetus along with investment, the more rewarding it would be,” Morgan was quoted as saying by the franchise in a release on Monday.
“It will benefit you in the long term and you talk about the grassroots here, giving people the structural facilities and ultimately allowing cricket to be their profession and hopefully, this can set an example and provide a clear pathway for investment,” Morgan further added.
Morgan, who led England to the ICC Cricket World Cup title in 2019, spoke about the experience of playing in the Zim Cyber City Zim Afro T10. This is Morgan’s first visit to the country as well.
He said, “The experience has been amazing so far. It’s my first time in Zimbabwe and it’s been a great experience for me and I think on and off the field, the people have been lovely. Very welcoming very excited and delighted that a competition has come that has got a lot of international players, particularly current players.”
The Harare Hurricanes’ captain signed off by talking about the support his team has received being the home side in the tournament.
“Right from the opening ceremony, it’s been distinct that we’ve had more support than everybody else, which is amazing because I know the difference home advantage can make, and whether that’s, the conditions that you play in or support at the ground, it all adds up because, in big moments of the game, that feeling off of the whole nature of being supported is quite a big one that can create belief, particularly with younger players and be the difference between winning and losing,” he said.
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