Hugh Morris, the former England cricketer who later spent time as chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board, has died. He was 62.
Glamorgan, the Welsh county team where Morris played his domestic cricket and was captain, said Sunday in a statement that Morris died after an “extremely difficult” last few years, during which he was diagnosed with bowel cancer.
Former Indian cricketer Ravi Shastri posted on X: "Really gutted to hear of the passing of teammate and captain Hugh Morris. Baanas, God bless your soul. You were honest in whatever you did, and did a bloody good job. Heartfelt condolences to the family. Respect."
An opening batter, Morris made three appearances for England and helped Glamorgan become county champions in 1997 — his final year before retirement with a career tally of 19,785 runs in first-class cricket and a batting average of 40.29.
He then served the ECB in a number of roles for 16 years, including as CEO during a successful period for the men's national team. Morris returned to Glamorgan in 2013 as its CEO and helped the team stave off financial issues.
Dan Cherry, the current Glamorgan CEO, said Morris was “a great player, a tireless administrator, and a fine human being of great dignity and integrity.”
“Hugh leaves us with an outstanding legacy, not least a stadium here at Sophia Gardens of international calibre — a far cry indeed from the ground when he first played for Glamorgan as a teenager — plus a Welsh Fire franchise (in The Hundred competition) poised for even greater success in the cricketing landscape of the 2020s and beyond," Cherry said.