Scottish batter Calum MacLeod retires from international cricket

Calum MacLeod, a Scotland batter, has announced his retirement from international cricket. After making his debut in 2007, MacLeod represented Scotland 229 times across all formats. The right-handed hitter has played in five World Cups for Scotland, including the one now underway in Australia. Macleod scored 3026 runs in 88 ODIs, including ten hundreds. His unbeaten 140 against England in 2018 placed him on the map. Scotland won a memorable thrilling game by six runs, defending 371, thanks to that flying knock.

MacLeod last played for Scotland against Zimbabwe last month, scoring 25 runs in a game that saw his team lose and miss out on a Super 12 position despite a strong start to the competition where they had defeated the West Indies. Earlier this year former Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer has announced his retirement from T20I cricket. In a way, Scottish cricket now going through a transition phase.

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“Finishing after this World Cup in Australia has been tough because we didn’t manage to achieve what we wanted to achieve, but I leave the group with a real sense of hope that, with the right backing and the right opportunities, the current team can really go far and can inspire many, my career with Scotland has been filled with some real highs and a few lows, I feel extremely fortunate to have played for my country 229 times. It was something that I never took for granted and it was a huge honour and a privilege. I hope I have entertained a few people along the way and, ultimately, I feel like I am leaving the team in a better place than when I started this amazing journey.”

MacLeod said in a statement.