Auckland August 31, : New Zealand all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme on Wednesday announced his retirement from international cricket with reports suggesting that the 36-year-old made his decision following being picked as the surprise pick in the Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL) Draft, which was held in recent days.De Grandhomme, a veteran of 29 Tests as well as 45 ODIs and 41 T20Is was picked by the Adelaide Strikers ahead of the BBL-12 season to be part of their team for the Australian domestic T20 tournament.
New Zealand Cricket (NZC) was astonished by the fact that Adelaide Strikers’ chief coach Jason Gillespie picked de Grandhomme in the Draft, since the player was contracted by the cricket board of the country and therefore not eligible to play in the BBL.
The day before, de Grandhomme made the decision to end his international cricket career after a discussion with NZC, with the two parties settling on an agreement to release him from his central contract as per ICC.
The all-rounder, who played for New Zealand in over 100 matches across three formats, admitted that the physical strain and the stress of raising a family led to her decision.
“I acknowledge that I’m not any younger , and that training is getting more difficult especially with injuries” de Grandhomme was quoted as saying.
“I also have an expanding family, and I am trying to figure out what my future will look like after I have played cricket.Everything of these thoughts have been on my plate for the last several weeks.”
De Grandhomme was a member of the New Zealand side that won the 2021 World Test Championship final against India and played a major role in the team’s 2019 Cricket World Cup campaign, reaching the final at Lord’s but ultimately falling to England in an epic game.
Over 3,000 runs and taking crucial wickets for New Zealand, de Grandhomme feels an immense feeling of satisfaction of being a part in an impressive period in the national team.
“I’ve been blessed to have been given the chance to be a part of the Black Caps since debuting in 2012 and am proud of my international playing career.However, I think it’s the right time to conclude.”
Black Caps coach Gary Stead was the host of the tributes following the decision.
“Colin’s been a massively influential member of the Black Caps and contributed to some of the most memorable achievements of the team,” he said.”His incredible strength with the bat as well as his his skills with the ball helped him become a game-winner and an asset to any team.
“While it’s heartbreaking to have him go however, we recognize that his position at this point in his career that he’s looking in an entirely different direction, and we appreciate the fact that he’s looking to change directions.”
akm/
