3 reasons why SRH should consider Eoin Morgan as head coach to replace Brian Lara
After the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), it seems like the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) might be on the lookout for a new head coach for IPL 2024 after a dismal campaign saw them end with the wooden spoon in the 2023 season.
Led by Aiden Markram, the 2016 champions tasted victory in just four out of the 14 matches they played, despite boasting a squad full of match-winners.
According to a report on CricBuzz, SRH might be looking at a change in guard with Brian Lara's job as head coach on the line. While it is unclear as to who are the favorites, an option that they could possibly consider is former England skipper Eoin Morgan.
Most ODI runs for England
ODI World Cup winning captain
🏴
✅ Most ODI runs for England
✅ Most Men’s T20I runs for England
🏆 ODI World Cup winning captain
He changed the way England played cricket and did it with great success 💥
An England great - Captain Morgan! 🙌🏴
#EoinMorgan #England #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/ym54JptznV
While he doesn't boast any significant coaching credentials, there is no denying the fact that he carries a burgeoning reputation as far as his cricketing smarts are concerned. All of that went a long way in England's revolution in the shorter formats as they clinched the 50-over World Cup in 2019 under his captaincy.
Let's now assess three reasons then as to why SRH must look at Morgan as a possible replacement for Brian Lara.
#1 Morgan's prowess as a white-ball tactician
Happy birthday to #CWC19-winning captain, Eoin Morgan 🎂
Watch him talk about everything that happened on and off the field during the epic final against New Zealand.
Full interview 📽️ bit.ly/OneDayAtLordsW… pic.twitter.com/OtZDjqulEC
It's not necessary that a great captain has to become a great coach. But the value of data and matchups in today's era of T20 cricket is undeniably massive. It is something that Morgan himself has believed in during his captaincy tenure at England and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
It has played a massive role in his success as captain and has proven to be a very astute tactician on the park. Simply put, he understands white-ball cricket in and out and the way it works.
Given the clarity that he possesses, SRH could tap into that should they be on the lookout for a new head coach. Bringing Morgan on board could well be a step in the right direction for a long period of time.
#2 He has been part of SRH before
Morgan was part of the SRH setup as a player during the 2015 and 2016 seasons, also going on to win the title with them in the second of those. He was never a regular starter though, turning out in just 16 matches in the two years and tallying 310 runs at a strike-rate of 121.09.
That said, it does hold a lot of value for having been a part of the franchise at some point in time. That it also coincided with a glory year in 2016 will give the 2019 World Cup-winning captain an idea of what clicked back then in terms of the team culture.
Morgan coming on board will aid SRH in rekindling some of their best from that season while blending that with his own ideas. It worked when Brendon McCullum returned to KKR as coach and took them to the final in 2021 and so, getting Morgan in would be a great move by the SunRisers.
#3 SRH need a fresh vision and direction
What is happening in the SRH camp? 🤯
#SRHvRCB #Cricket #IPL2023 pic.twitter.com/rtvhjQMwdw
From qualifying for the playoffs for five consecutive IPL seasons between 2016 and 2020, SRH have since flattered to deceive. There just hasn't been any sort of clarity and with three different full-time captains from 2021 to 2023, they haven't been able to move in the right direction.
That they had an assortment of match-winners and yet finished at the bottom of IPL 2023 is a reflection of the same. From playing musical chairs with their batting lineup to not getting the best out of Umran Malik and Kartik Tyagi, SRH were guilty of a number of poor decisions.
Morgan knows what it's like to vault a team from the abyss towards the path of glory, having done so with England post the debacle of the 2015 World Cup. He has preached and practiced a positive brand of cricket over time and could rejuvenate the Hyderabad side with ideas along those lines.
The franchise clearly needs a vision and Morgan will certainly bring that to the table should he be considered as their next coach.
Should SRH look at Eoin Morgan as their next head coach? Have your say in the comments section below!
Also read: 3 times a change of coach proved to be a masterstroke for an IPL team