Indian first-class hero Ajay Sharma hangs his boots

Former Indian international Ajay Sharma has finally parted ways with the game of cricket, 24 years after he last represented the nation. The iconic first-class cricketer who represented Delhi announced his retirement officially on Friday. The veteran cricketer wrote a letter to the Board of Control for Cricket in India where he asked them to consider his note as his decision to retire from both the international and domestic circuits.

Ajay Sharma made his first first-class appearance in the year 1984-85 and went on to become a prolific run scorer in the future. He has over 10,000 runs under his belt playing mainly for Delhi, with an average of 67.46. His debut for the national team came in the year of 1988 when India took on the West Indies in a One Day International at Kolkata. He also grabbed his first Test cap within a span of 9 days as India met the West Indies in the Test format. He marked his debut Test with a win as India defeated the West Indies at Chennai.

The letter:

Sharma’s letter to the BCCI read “Please accept this letter as my formal retirement from international and first-class cricket effective as of today.”

Speaking about his career, Sharma said the playing for India was something that he will never forget. He mentioned that it helped him develop his game over the years. He also highlighted that working with the best trainers and coaching staff helped him grow as a cricketer. He went on to say that he understood the importance of team and learned to respect the contribution of others.

“Playing for India was a memorable journey and my team mates and my fans made it an unforgettable experience. With the finest of coaches and trainers I developed my game over the years and learnt to appreciate the contribution of other players and importance of team work,” he added in his letter to the BCCI.

His stellar first-class career stretched for 17 years which saw him feature in 129 matches. He scored 10120 runs to be exact but was found guilty of match fixing issues which brought an end to his stint. However, the 53-year-old man fought those charges successfully and got himself free of allegations.

“I would like to thank the BCCI for all its support over the years and express my deepest gratitude to the BCCI for providing me with the opportunity to represent my country and allowing me to play the game at the highest level. I would also like to thank the DDCA for its incessant support and guidance through the initial years of my professional career,” Sharma concluded.