New Zealand all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme has announced his retirement from international cricket. The 36-year-old reckoned that growing injuries, age factor and competition in the national side across all three formats made him take the decision.
De Grandhomme began his international career with a T20I against Zimbabwe and last turned out for Black Caps in the Lord’s Test against England this June. His international career lasted over 10 years, and he represented New Zealand in 115 games across formats.
The Harare-born finished with two hundreds, eight half-centuries, and picked up 49 wickets in 29 Tests. He also took 30 wickets and scored 742 runs at a strike rate of 106.15 in 45 ODIs. In the 41 T20Is, he scored 505 runs at a strike rate of 138.35, along with 12 scalps.
De Grandhomme was part of the side that beat India in the final of the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021 and the team that faced loss in the historic 2019 World Cup final.
“I accept that I am 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.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to play for the BLACKCAPS since debuting in 2012, and I’m proud of my international career – but I feel this is the right time to finish. 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.
