Narine Declares His Retirement from International Cricket

Sun, 05 Nov 2023 16:08:43 GMT

West Indies spinner Sunil Narine has officially retired from international cricket, marking the end of his tenure in representing the national team. The 35-year-old shared this decision via a post on his Instagram page, affirming his commitment to continue participating in franchise cricket worldwide.

Narine’s journey in the cricketing world began with a breakthrough performance in the 2011 Champions League T20, leading to his international debut for the West Indies in the same year. Although he only featured in six Test matches, with his last appearance nearly a decade ago, he played a pivotal role in West Indies’ triumph in the World T20 in 2012.

Transitioning to Franchise Cricket

The spinner also made a significant impact in the Indian Premier League (IPL) during his debut season in 2012, earning the Player of the Tournament award and helping the Kolkata Knight Riders secure the title. However, he faced a suspension from bowling in international cricket in November 2015.

Although he was cleared to resume bowling in April 2016, Narine’s appearances for the West Indies were limited, with his most recent T20I appearance dating back to August 2019. Despite his strong performances in the IPL, he was not considered for the West Indies’ T20 World Cup squad in 2021 due to fitness standards not being met. In total, the 35-year-old spinner has taken 165 wickets across various formats in international cricket.

Narine expressed his gratitude and announced his retirement, stating, “I appreciate it has been over four years since I last played for West Indies, but today I am announcing my retirement from international cricket. Publicly I am a man of few words, but privately there are a few people who have given me unwavering support throughout my career and helped me realize my dream of representing West Indies. To you, I express my deepest gratitude.”

He also confirmed that the ongoing Super50 Cup would be his final tournament in List A cricket, remarking, “Winning this current Super50 Cup will be the perfect send-off. Needless to say, outside of this, it will continue to be business as usual for me in the franchise world in the foreseeable future.”