New Zealand batter Colin Munro has announced his retirement from international cricket on Friday after he was left out of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 squad.
Munro, who last played for New Zealand in 2020 against India, made himself available for the mega-event, starting from June 1 in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA). However, he failed to make it to the Kiwi squad.
“Playing for the Black Caps has always been the biggest achievement in my playing career,” Munro said in a statement.
“I never felt prouder than donning that jersey, and the fact that I’ve been able to do that 123 times across all formats is something I will always be incredibly proud of.
“Although it has been a while since my last appearance, I never gave up hope that I might be able to return off the back of my franchise T20 form. With the announcement of the Black Caps squad for the T20 World Cup now is the perfect time to close that chapter officially.”
Colin Munro represented New Zealand in one Test, 57 ODIs and 65 T20Is, since making his international debut in 2012.
He scored a mere 15 runs in his solitary Test, while in 57 ODI appearances, he managed 1271 runs at an average of 24.92.
However, he proved his mettle in T20I cricket, scoring 1724 runs in 62 innings at an average of 31.34 and a healthy strike rate of 156.44, including three centuries.
He also scored a 14-ball half-century against Sri Lanka in 2016, which is the fastest by a New Zealand player and the fourth fastest in overall T20Is.
“Colin [Munro] was one of our first players to embrace the aggressive, 360-degree style batting that is now accepted all around the world as best practice,” New Zealand Cricket chief executive Scott Weenink said.
“He was one of the pioneers of the new game, an innovative batsman who took calculated risk-taking to a new level, and led what was to become a revolution in the way short-form cricket was played.
“We thank him for his amazing contribution in more than hundred international games, and wish him well in his future pursuits.”
READ: Sri Lanka announce squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024
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