Veteran English bowler Katherine Brunt announces Test retirement

One of England women’s cricket team’s champion players Katherine Brunt has called a day on her illustrious Test career on June 18. Brunt, who is England Women’s leading international wicket-taker, has decided to put an end to her red-ball career at the peak of her career. However, she has made it clear that she would continue playing white-ball cricket for the former world champions.

Speaking on her decision to retire, the veteran cricketer said that the thought of retirement has been on her mind for the last couple of years, and therefore, she decided to make a smart decision rather than an emotional one. Nevertheless, she admitted that bidding adieu to the traditional format is heartbreaking.

I’ve decided to make a smart decision rather than an emotional one: Katherine Brunt

“I feel like as an athlete there is never an obvious time to step away from doing the thing that you love,” Brunt said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

“But over the past two years, thoughts of retirement have surfaced more and more, so I’ve decided to make a smart decision rather than an emotional one. Test cricket is my absolute passion and to retire from this format was truly a heartbreaking choice to make, but it allows me to prioritize white-ball cricket”, she added.

Katherine Brunt, who made her Test debut way back in 2004 has since then gone on to make 14 appearances for England in red-ball cricket and went on to register 51 scalps to her name averaging 21.52. She has finished as the ninth-highest wicket-taker of all time. She was last seen in action during a Test match against arch-rivals Australia in Canberra in January this year where she went on to register an impactful fifer.

Coming back to her international career, Brunt played a crucial role in England’s Women’s World Cup 2017 triumph at the ‘Home’ of cricket, Lord’s against Mithali Raj’s India. She was also an integral part of the English squad that finished as the runners-up in this year’s quadrennial event.