Before the New Zealand team leaves for England, BJ Watling has announced that will retire from all cricket after the tour.
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Before the New Zealand team leaves for England, BJ Watling has announced that will retire from all cricket after the tour. The specialist wicketkeeper batsman for New Zealand in Tests will play three matches in England before hanging his boots from all cricket. The domestic summer with Northern Districts was officially his last.
“It’s the right time,” Watling said in a video posted by New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on YouTube. “It’s been a huge honour to represent New Zealand and in particular wear the Test baggy. Test cricket really is the pinnacle of the game and I’ve loved every minute of being out there in the whites with the boys.
“Sitting in the changing rooms having a beer with the team after five days’ toil is what I’ll miss the most. I’ve played with some great players and made many good mates. I’ve also had plenty of help along the way for which I’ll always be grateful.”
New Zealand head coach Gary Stead has heaped praise on the wicketkeeper batsman who has been an integral part of the core Test team for several years.
“BJ is a wonderful player and a great bloke,” Stead said. “He works really hard on his game to get improvements and always puts the team first. You just have to look at the respect he’s held in by his teammates and the opposition to appreciate his standing in the game.
“The records speak for themselves and he’s been such a crucial cog in the Test team’s rise over the past decade. That double hundred he scored at the Mount in 2019 was one of the best innings I’ve ever seen and epitomised BJ Watling as a player, really.
“The attitude and fight he brings to every day and every session of a Test is what has made him such a valued member of the Black Caps. He is without a doubt one of our best ever wicketkeeper batsmen.”
New Zealand’s tour of England includes two Test matches against the hosts, starting on June 2, followed by the World Test Championship (WTC) Final against India on June 18.
New Zealand are sending a 20-member squad for the entire England tour, which includes three Test matches, which includes captain Kane Williamson, Kyle Jamieson and Mitchell Santner who will leave for the UK directly from the Maldives.
Meanwhile Trent Boult, who flew back to New Zealand after the IPL 2021 was suspended, will join the squad in time for the World Test Championship Final in Southampton.
