Wellington mayor in 'Eoin Rogers' England gaffe

18 February 2015 02:16

Eoin Morgan's form has deserted him and now so has his name after the England captain was introduced as 'Eoin Rogers' by the mayor of Wellington.

The embarrassing gaffe happened when the England squad arrived in the New Zealand capital ahead of Friday's World Cup match against the co-hosts.

London-born mayor Celia Wade-Brown introduced Morgan as 'Rogers' during a traditional Maori ceremony staged on the city's harbour front late Tuesday.

The incident prompted some light-hearted ribbing from the travelling British press contingent.

"England found themselves with a new captain when the mayor of Wellington inadvertently welcomed a stranger called Eoin Rogers to the city," wrote Richard Hobson in The Times.

Morgan has endured a tough time with the bat in Australia and New Zealand, enduring a fourth duck in five innings during his side's World Cup 111-run mauling at the hands of the Australians in Melbourne on Saturday.

"If Eoin Morgan needed any more motivation to make a name for himself at the World Cup for the right reasons it was inadvertently provided by the mayor of Wellington," wrote the Daily Telegraph's Nick Hoult.

"The mayor's mistake did bring a wry smile to the lips of some of the England players and she looked horrified when informed of her error, but Morgan at least has the chance to leave a lasting impression on Wellington with the bat if he can rediscover his form against New Zealand on Friday."

Morgan, 28, shrugged off the mayor's gaffe on Wednesday.

"I've been called a lot worse. She got the hardest part right," he said.

Source: AFP