There comes a time in the career of a professional sportsman when he/she needs to hang up his boots. That time has now come for New Zealand’s Colin de Grandhomme who has over time become a reliable lower order batsman and medium pacer for the Kiwis. Today, we announced his retirement from all three forms of international cricket.
The 36-year old cited injuries and ever-increasing competition in the national side as some of the reasons he took this decision. It comes at a time when all-rounders such as Mitchell Santner, James Neesham, Michael Bracewell, Michael Rippon, and others are options for all-rounders in the limited overs and Test formats.
Colin de Grandhomme announces retirement
CdG comes from a family of New Zealand cricketers and he also enjoyed a good time with the national side, playing as many as 29 Tests, 45 ODIs and 41 T20Is at the highest level. While he was often considered a smasher of the ball for limited overs cricket, he has two centuries in the longest format, including one 5-fer with the ball.
“I accept I’m not getting any younger and that the training is getting harder, particularly with the injuries. I also have a growing family and am trying to understand what my future looks like post-cricket. All of this has been on my mind over the past few weeks,” said de Grandhomme in a statement by New Zealand Cricket.
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“I’ve been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to play for the Black Caps since debuting in 2012, and I’m proud of my international career – but I feel this is the right time to finish,” he added. Earlier in the week, de Grandhomme also struck a deal with Adelaide Strikers for the upcoming edition of the Big Bash League (BBL) in Australia.
Among the biggest achievements of his international career were being a part of the side that beat India in the final of the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021. He was also a part of the team that narrowly lost to England in the historic 2019 World Cup final in England. It’s safe to say that the Harare-born cricketer has been a pivotal part of the NZ cricket team in recent years.
“I’ve loved being part of this team over the past decade and am grateful for the experiences we’ve shared together. I’ve made many lasting friendships with team-mates, coaching staff and opponents, and will treasure the memories for the rest of my life,” he added in his statement, which comes a few weeks after teammate Ross Taylor also announced an international retirement.
Colin De Grandhomme announced his retirement from international cricket 💔
He has bowled '4054' balls In Test format, But Never Conceded a Single Six 😮 pic.twitter.com/d7ccAVbi41
— 𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒔 (@Shebas_10dulkar) August 31, 2022
“Colin’s a great team-man and we will certainly miss his character around the dressing room. While it’s sad to see him go – we appreciate he’s at a stage in his career where he’s looking to head in a different direction and we respect that. We wish him all the best with his future and hope to see him featuring on the New Zealand domestic scene when available,” said New Zealand Head Coach, Gary Stead.
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