Attempted blackmail of England’s Dublin-born cricketer Eoin Morgan over relationship

England's one-day captain Eoin Morgan was the target of a recent blackmail attempt, the England Cricket Board has announced.

The ECB said on Thursday it received an email from an Australian man demanding a “five-figure sum” to prevent him revealing details regarding a relationship Morgan had with a woman five years ago to newspapers in the UK and Australia.

ECB officials in Australia approached the man after discussions with the Metropolitan Police. The man concerned is currently in a relationship with the woman Morgan had a relationship with, and when confronted he admitted and apologised for his actions.

Morgan made his one day international debut for Ireland in 2006 and represented his country of birth before going on to play with and then captain England.

ECB managing director Paul Downton said: "We will not allow anyone to disrupt our team's preparation or performance in the Tri Series and as we build up to the World Cup.

“I am pleased that this issue has now been brought to a swift conclusion.

“At this point we’d like to thank the Metropolitan Police for their advice, which assisted us in dealing with this in the swiftest possible manner.”