Katherine Sciver-Brunt: England Bowler Announces Retirement from International Cricket | ‘I’ve Achieved Beyond My Dreams’

Katherine Sciver-Brunt: “I had given up hope that I would ever be able to make this choice, but I did, and it was the hardest of my life. I have so much to be thankful for, cricket has given me a purpose, a sense of belonging, security, many golden memories and best friends that will last a lifetime”.

After 267 appearances and 335 wickets in all formats of international cricket, England Women’s bowler Katherine Sciver-Brunt announced her retirement from the game.

Sciver-Brunt made her England debut in 2004. Since then, she has played in three World Cups, four Ashes series, and topped the team’s wicket-taking charts in both IT20 and ODI cricket.

Confirming her decision to call time, the 37-year-old, who retired from the Test format last year, said: “I’ve now reached the end of my international journey, 19 years later. I had given up hope that I would ever be able to make this choice, but I have, and it has been the hardest of my life.

“I never had any hopes or dreams to accomplish what I have; all I ever wanted was to please my family. Furthermore, what I’ve accomplished goes far beyond that.

“I have so much to be grateful for, and cricket has given me so much. It has given me a goal, a sense of community, security, countless fond memories, and lifelong best friends. The happiness I have found in Nat [Sciver-Brunt, her England teammate and wife] is my greatest achievement, even though I have attained all the trophies and titles I could have hoped to win.

“I’d like to thank the entire England cricket family, past and present, for making my time there a special one. It has been an enormous honor to represent England for so long. The supporters: you rock; without you, we couldn’t do what we love, and the energy you guys bring to the room is priceless.

“My family, however, deserves the most gratitude because they are my biggest supporters and without whom I could not have embarked on this journey at all.”

England Women’s Managing Director Clare Connor, also Sciver-Brunt’s first England captain, added: “In particular, women’s cricket has benefited greatly from Katherine’s efforts for the sport of cricket. Giving us everything she had for almost 20 years, she has been an incredible role model.

“When a cricket player retires, we justifiably celebrate their talent, runs and wickets, records and honors. However, Katherine’s contributions to cricket go far beyond these.

“Her greatest influence has come from her human traits, such as her drive to advance our sport, her concern for her teammates, and her determination to always bounce back stronger and better despite serious injury setbacks. Through the time she spent interacting with fans, signing autographs, and posing for pictures with so many young people who were inspired by her.

“Many of those kids watched Katherine play over the years and were motivated to start playing on their own. She should be incredibly proud of leaving behind such a strong legacy.

“We owe Katherine a debt of gratitude for the role she has played in developing our game, raising standards, and introducing a new audience to women’s cricket. Katherine started her career in an entirely different era from the one we are in now.

“She is, quite simply, a legend of our sport, and I would like to thank her on behalf of the ECB as well as the entire game. As she ends a remarkable international cricket career, we wish her the best.”

Sciver-Brunt had already announced her retirement from regional cricket, but she will continue to play in The Hundred with Trent Rockets, live on Sky Sports.

Reference: www.skysports.com