South Africa handed England an agonising loss at Buffalo Park, where the Proteas prevailed in an astonishing finish in the first T20 international on Wednesday.
England – chasing 178 – needed seven runs from seven balls but the tourists fell short as Morgan holed out to long on before a stunning final over from Lungi Ngidi (3-30) saw him remove Tom Curran and Moeen Ali.
Adil Rashid required three from the last delivery for victory but he could only manage one as Dale Steyn and captain Quinton de Kock combined for a runout.
Despite the loss, Morgan was upbeat with the T20 World Cup on the horizon – the 20-over tournament scheduled to get underway in October.
"I definitely think we could've [found an extra run or two], I thought particularly during the chase we were in a very commanding position," Morgan, who scored 52 runs, told Sky Sports.
"We never through a cluster of losing wickets, Jason [Roy] and myself established a partnership quite well with the new guys coming in and with the short boundary one side, we never really looked flustered - probably until Ngidi came on in the 18th and probably the last over that he bowled turned the came on its head.
"Even in a position needing seven off the last over with new guys coming in, we'd have expected to win that game.
"It's a great game to play in because you get a feeling of where guys are at, they're put under pressure, you get to see what skill-level they produce, how their temperament is. So in terms of actually improving in that position, I think it is great for us."
Ngidi dazzled in the first of three T20's in East London and the South Africa paceman does not plan on relinquishing his spot in the team.
"We know that there are a lot of fast bowlers fighting for a spot so you've got to be on your A game," he said afterwards, with the Proteas able to call upon Steyn, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada and Sisanda Magala.
"If you're not quite there, someone else is going to come in and do the job you're supposed to be doing. I don't plan on letting anyone take my spot so I am just going to keep playing as best as I can."
With all three matches being played in Greater Noida, India, the series outcome was already decided after the opening two contests were won by Afghanistan, but that did not prevent a thrilling finale.
Ireland posted 142-8 after winning the toss and electing to bat, Afghanistan debutant Qais Ahmad and Naveen-ul-Haq combining for six wickets as Gareth Delany top-scored with 37.
In response, an innings of 42 from opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz set up an intriguing run chase which left his side needing 16 off the final over.
It looked like it was all over for Afghanistan when captain Asghar Afghan (32) was dismissed with three balls left and 13 runs still needed.
But Rashid Khan, helped by two wides from bowler Josh Little, hit a four off the last delivery to thrillingly force a super over as they ended on 142-7.
Craig Young then superbly restricted Afghanistan to only eight and although Ireland initially stumbled, leaving them needing three off the final ball, man-of-the-match O'Brien cleared the ropes.
The Proteas fell three runs short in the first match on Thursday but comfortably chased down a smaller target of 145 this time around.
David Miller (25 not out) and stand-in captain Heinrich Klaasen (17no) ensured South Africa reached their total with 22 balls to spare on Saturday.
That came after Reeza Hendricks and Pite van Biljon both scored 42 to set the platform.
Pretorius had earlier wreaked havoc as Pakistan struggled to 144-7 despite an innings of 51 from in-form opener Mohammad Rizwan, who scored a century in the opening meeting.
The series will be decided in Sunday's third and final game, which will also take place in Lahore.
South Africa won the toss and opted to bowl, a decision which led to an ideal start when Pakistan captain Babar Azam (5) was trapped lbw by Pretorius from the eighth delivery of the innings.
Babar reviewed the decision but the ball was crashing into middle and leg.
After Haider Ali (10) and Hussain Talat (3) fell cheaply, Rizwan – who hit six fours and one six – built a partnership of 45 with Iftikhar Ahmed (20).
However, those runs came at slower than a run per ball, with Pretorius, Tabraiz Shamsi (1-16) and JJ Smuts (0-20) all producing economical four-over spells.
Even a quickfire 30 in just 12 balls from Faheem Ashraf could not get the hosts above 150.
It looked like the sub-par total might be enough when Shaheen Afridi (2-18) removed Janneman Malan (4) and Smuts (7) inside 14 deliveries of South Africa’s reply.
But Hendricks and Van Biljon combined for five maximums in a decisive partnership worth 77.
Neither of them could see the innings through to its conclusion, but the outcome was no longer in doubt and Miller finished it off with a huge six and then a single off Iftikhar.
No result was declared after the game was called off approaching 22:00 local time – Ireland boasting a 1-0 lead in the three-game series.
Career-best figures from captain Kieron Pollard helped restrict Ireland to 147-9 from 19 overs, with a rain delay leading to a reduction in overs.
Confidence was high in the Ireland camp after their memorable four-run triumph in the opening T20I in Grenada.
But Pollard claimed 4-25 from four overs – the 10th best performance for the Windies in T20I history, dismissing Gareth Delany (44), skipper Andy Balbirnie (36), Gary Wilson (5) and George Dockrell (2).
Sheldon Cottrell (2-10) and Romario Shepherd (1-38) also chopped in with wickets for the Windies.
West Indies managed to start their run chase and they reached 16-1 after Lendl Simmons (10) fell victim to Paul Stirling (1-11) before the rain set in for good.
Curran's older brother Tom has been called up to replace the 23-year-old, who suffered the setback while playing in the Indian Premier League for Chennai Super Kings at the weekend.
Scans revealed a lower-back issue, meaning disappointment for one sibling but an opportunity for another.
Surrey's Reece Topley will also join up with the squad after being added as a travelling reserve for the tournament in the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
England's opening match is against West Indies, who beat them in the 2016 final, on October 23.
Chasing 178, England looked poised for victory after Jason Roy scored a rapid 70 and captain Eoin Morgan added a vital 52 that included some clutch late boundaries.
The tourists only needed seven from the last seven balls but Morgan holed out to long on to set up a tense finale before a tremendous last over from Lungi Ngidi (3-30) saw him remove Tom Curran and Moeen Ali.
Adil Rashid was left needing three from the final delivery for victory or two to force a super over, but he could only manage one as the returning Dale Steyn and captain Quinton de Kock combined for a runout that sparked joyous scenes in East London.
Earlier, South Africa were well set for a huge total before England recovered to limit them to 177-8.
Roy's superb innings – which saw him become the country's first player to score three consecutive T20I fifties - took just 38 balls with seven fours and three sixes as Morgan's men made a strong start to their reply.
Morgan appeared ready to put the finishing touches on a strong run chase but a dramatic conclusion meant it was South Africa who took a 1-0 lead in the three-match rubber, with their opponents finishing agonisingly short on 176-8.
England are now in danger of losing their first T20I series since July 2018 and this morale-denting defeat was an unwelcome start to a year that builds towards the T20 World Cup in October.
The 38-year-old took 439 wickets across 93 Tests to become South Africa's all-time leading wicket-taker in the longest format, adding a further 260 dismissals across 172 limited-over international fixtures.
His returns in Test cricket ranks him eighth for all-time dismissals and his strike rate of 42.3 is the best of any player to take 250 wickets, though he did announce his retirement from red-ball internationals in 2019.
However, Steyn continued to operate as a white-ball specialist and, despite missing out on a central contract with South Africa, wanted to play in the T20 World Cup before the coronavirus-enforced delay.
He may have been considered an outsider for the rearranged T20 World Cup this year but he will not feature for South Africa again after taking to social media to announce his retirement.
"It’s been 20 years of training, matches, travel, people, wins, losses, strapped feet, jet lag, joy, and brotherhood," Steyn wrote on Tuesday as he prefixed his post with lyrics from the Counting Crows.
"There are too many memories to tell. Too many faces to thank. So I left it to the experts to sum up, my favourite band, the Counting Crows.
"Today I officially retire from the game I love the most. Bitter sweet but grateful.
"Thank you to everyone, from family to teammates, journalists to fans, it’s been an incredible journey together."
Steyn has not featured in franchise T20 cricket since March in the Pakistan Super League, though he remains one of the pioneers of the shortest format.
The South Africa bowler appeared in leagues across England, Pakistan, India, the West Indias, Sri Lanka and Australia, but pulled out of this year's Indian Premier League, insisting he was not retiring.
However, with Tuesday's announcement, an international in February 2020 and his final franchise appearance in March prove to be his last.
Former team-mate and fellow South Africa legend, AB de Villiers quickly responded to Steyn's post, adding: "Great player, great man, amazing memories! You picked a good song to sign off my bud. Legend forever!"
Hafeez played with typical class as Pakistan, who lost the first of three matches by five wickets, to steer Pakistan to 163-6 in Hamilton.
But paceman Southee (4-21) took three wickets in the powerplay as Pakistan toiled to 33-3 and never found a partner able to stick around with Hafeez.
Seifert, fresh from a fifty in the first match, then smacked the ball to all areas of the ground, scoring eight fours and three sixes in his 84, while Williamson added 57 as the Black Caps reached their target with four balls to spare and nine wickets in hand.
Southee's first spell included a stunning outswinger that had the dangerous Mohammad Rizwan (22) caught behind, with Haider Ali (8) and Abdullah Shafique (0) quickly sent packing.
Hafeez judged the pitch to perfection, taking on singles early doors, before pummelling the short balls over square leg and sending the full ones to cover.
The issue was those at the other end offered little and New Zealand's reply saw the wonderfully gifted Seifert settle at the crease after an opening in which he swung and missed at plenty.
Anything Pakistan bowled short, Seifert would pull and cut away and – after Martin Guptill (21) – was dismissed in the fourth over, he had the perfect foil in Williamson, whose own knock included eight fours and a six.
New Zealand consequently hold a 2-0 lead ahead of the third and final T20 in Napier on Tuesday.
SLC invited India to fly out for three ODIs and as many Twenty20 Internationals, while the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) are also considering the opportunity to tour for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic brought the vast majority of sport to a halt.
Ashley de Silva, the SLC chief executive, revealed there has been no official word from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) or the BCB over whether they will take up the offers.
"We have made inquiries from both the India and Bangladesh boards and are awaiting a response from them," he told ESPNcricinfo.
"As of now, those series haven't been postponed."
The BCCI on Sunday stated that contracted players would not be rushed back into training camps after the government gave the go-ahead for sports facilities to reopen.
A BCCI statement said: "The Board of Control for Cricket in India has taken note of the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on Sunday for containment of COVID-19 across the country.
"Taking into the account the restrictions on air travel and movement of people till May 31, the BCCI will wait further before organizing a skill-based training camp for its contracted players.
"The Board reiterates that the safety and well-being of its athletes and support staff is paramount and will not rush into any decision that can hamper or jeopardize India's efforts in containing the spread of the virus."
There have been just 981 COVID-19 cases reported in Sri Lanka, nine of those people passing away.
The death bowling specialist had already retired from Test cricket in 2011 and subsequently from 50-over internationals in 2019 as well, but the 38-year-old has now confirmed he will no longer play T20Is either.
The paceman, who took 546 wickets across all formats for his country, captained his side to the T20 World Cup title in 2014 and flourished in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with Mumbai Indians.
Malinga, who is the only player to take three ODI hat-tricks, managed 107 wickets in 84 internationals in the T20I format and his last appearance for Sri Lanka came against West Indies in March 2020.
"I've had many experiences throughout my career, and I want to share all of my experience in the future, especially with young cricketers," said Malinga in a post on Twitter.
He added on his YouTube channel: "I will be continuously supporting the younger generations who strive to uplift the spirit of the game and I will always be there with all who love the game.
"I want to thank each and everyone who supported me throughout my T20 journey. I want to thank the Sri Lankan cricket board and team members. And Mumbai Indians cricket team, especially the team owners and officials."
Stokes had announced his break before the Test series against India to prioritise his mental wellbeing and did not make himself available for selection for England's preliminary 15-man T20 squad.
In the absence of the injured Jofra Archer, Mills features for the first time since February 2017 after impressing in white-ball cricket this term, winning the inaugural Hundred competition with Trent Rockets and guiding Sussex to the T20 Blast Finals Day.
On announcing England's squad, head coach Chris Silverwood said: "We are excited about the prospect of challenging to win the ICC T20 World Cup.
"I believe we have selected a squad that covers all bases and has the depth to be successful in what is expected to be a very competitive tournament featuring the best players in the world.
"Tymal Mills deserves his inclusion and has demonstrated over the past couple of years, but particularly this summer that he has all skills to succeed at this level.
"His exceptional pace is a standout, and the way he has spearheaded Sussex and Southern Brave's respective attacks in the short-form game has shown that he relishes the pressures of the big stage.
"He will add variety to our bowling unit, and we can't wait to see him play in a major international tournament."
David Willey also makes the list after the disappointment of missing out on the triumphant 50-over World Cup squad in 2019, with Tom Curran demoted to the reserves.
There is no room for leg-spinner Matt Parkinson but Lancashire team-mate Liam Livingstone is included and could have a big role to play as a third spinner alongside Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid.
Eoin Morgan's men, who fell short in the final against West Indies at the 2016 T20 World Cup, have until October 10 to finalise their squad.
England finish off their preparations with a two-match T20I series against Pakistan, on 14 and 15 October, before their first group-stage fixture against West Indies on October 23.
England squad: Eoin Morgan (c), Moeen Ali, Jonathan Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Tymal Mills, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
Reserves: Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, James Vince.
The former skipper announced prior to the Group 2 clash in Dubai that he would retire from all forms of cricket following the conclusion of the contest.
Asghar received a guard of honour in his 75th and final T20I before producing a knock of 31 – taking his overall tally to 1,382 runs – as Afghanistan looked to bounce back from Friday's defeat by Pakistan.
Mohammad Shahzad top-scored with 45 – surpassing 2,000 runs in men's T20I – while Hazratullah Zazai hit 33 and captain Mohammad Nabi was 32 not out as Afghanistan set a target of 160-5.
Namibia were aiming to build on their opening win over Scotland, but their quest suffered an early blow when Naveen-ul-Haq (3-26) bowled Craig Williams and Michael van Lingen within the opening three overs.
Hamid Hassan also claimed three wickets as the Eagles' chase fell way short at 98-9.
David Wiese hit 26 for Namibia, but it was not enough to prevent a first defeat in the Super 12s.
History for Shahzad
Dismissed by Pakistan for just eight, Shahzad had another opportunity to reach 2,000 runs in the short format.
This time, he made no mistake with his knock of 45 making him the first Afghan to achieve the feat – and 12th overall.
Naveen shines
It was always going to take a special effort to chase down Afghanistan's total of 160-5, but Naveen quickly put Namibia on the back foot.
The 22-year-old dismissed Williams and Van Lingen within his opening 10 deliveries, and that set his side well on the way to what was eventually a commanding victory.
The Black Caps' quest for the semi-finals got off to a strong start as they set a target of 172 in Dubai.
Although they lost Daryl Mitchell (13) and captain Kane Williamson for a duck in the fifth over, Guptill steadied the ship with a supreme display of batting that included six fours and seven sixes.
Glenn Phillips managed 33 off 37 balls before he was caught off a good ball from Brad Wheal (2-40). Guptill fell at the next ball, a tired launch to long on comfortably caught by Calum MacLeod.
Scotland put up a spirited chase after Kyle Coetzer (17) was caught by Tim Southee. George Munsey (22) and Matthew Cross (27) spearheaded a brave batting display, the latter smashing five consecutive fours in the sixth over to put his side at 48-1.
When Munsey was caught superbly by Southee after hammering a full toss from Ish Sodhi (2-42), Scotland's resistance seemed to falter, Southee skittling Cross in the 11th over.
Michael Leask led a late charge with a brilliant 42 from 20 balls, but they could not stop New Zealand moving onto four points in the group.
Guptill greatness
Guptill's ruthless knock saw him become just the second batsman to reach 3,000 runs in T20 internationals after Virat Kohli.
Only four men have hit more sixes in the entire tournament this year than the 35-year-old managed in these innings alone.
Scotland show heart
Scotland have now gone three defeats in a row in this format for the first time since they lost four on the spin from January 2017 to June 2018.
Yet this was a spirited performance that should give them confidence ahead of Friday's showdown with India.
Australia – the world's top-ranked T20 side – looked to be cruising to victory when openers Aaron Finch (46) and Warner (58) got them off to a strong start as they bid to chase down England's meagre 162-7, a total boosted by Dawid Malan (66).
Yet a glut of wickets resulted in the tourists, playing for the first time since March due to the coronavirus pandemic, needing 15 from the last over.
Despite the efforts of Marcus Stoinis (23 not out), England held on for a two-run triumph, a result which left Warner, who insisted Australia must improve on finding the boundary during difficult spells in the middle of the innings, reeling.
"There's no excuses there. I think the guys were outplayed to be honest. Well executed by England at the end and we just couldn't get across the line," Warner told a news conference.
"When you're losing wickets, trying to get momentum out there. I pride myself on being there at the end but you can't help getting good deliveries.
"When you're chasing a run a ball, good shots get you close to that end result. It's disappointing because I think it's three or four games in a row now.
"You've got to work out the wicket as the ball gets older. They were bashing a length, it was quite inconsistent. We've played practice games on this which but we felt it was a bit different at night. You've got to assess those conditions when you're out there but we've been playing this game a long time and we should be able to do that.
"I felt we did, we just didn't hit the boundaries as much as we'd have liked through that middle period.
"We'll have a chat on what to work on for the next game, how to apply that. We're playing the next two games on this wicket but the next game is a day game, so that could be a bit drier and a little bit different."
There was one positive for Warner, at least.
"From a crowd perspective, no," Warner said when asked if the match felt like a game between England and Australia without fans in attendance.
"It was the first time I've been here and not got abuse. It was quite nice!
"But yet again, you get that up and going [from the crowd]. That's why we love playing home and away. There's home advantage and away advantage. It was a bit bizarre, but we're always up for international cricket. We're just grateful to be back playing and want to make the most of that."
