South African legend Shabnim Ismael announced his immediate retirement from all forms of international cricket on Wednesday with immediate effect.
The pacer, who represented the Protea women 241 times, managed to pick up 317 wickets in international colours.
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“After 16 years of proudly representing my country, I have made the difficult decision to retire from international cricket and move on to the next chapter of my life,” the 34-year-old said on her social media.
The seamstress made her international debut in 2007 against Pakistan at the ODI, while her Test debut came the same year against the Netherlands.
“As any athlete knows, training and competing to the best of your abilities takes a lot of sacrifice and dedication and I now find myself wanting to spend more time with my family, especially my siblings and parents as I go. may they grow old,” the tweet read.
“I really believe that reducing the amount of cricket I play will allow me to do that, and playing in world leagues is the only way I see that I can fit in with both family and cricket,” said the stimulator.
Her first T20I was against New Zealand, who also arrived in 2007, and since then the seamstress has 127 ODIs, while donning the South African shirt 113 times in T20I.
“Looking back on my international career, I’m so grateful for all the opportunities and experiences I’ve had. I loved being able to compete at the highest level and I’m so proud to be part of a wonderful group of players who paved the way for women in cricket.”
“The memories I have will stay with me forever.”
She also thanked her teammates, coaches, staff and the national cricket association in her heartfelt note.
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“I would like to thank Cricket South Africa, my team mates, coaches and medical support staff for all their contribution and support over the years.”
“To my fan, thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement. Your messages and encouragement have lifted me up and kept me going when times were tough.”
“As I enter this new stage in life, I am excited to explore new opportunities and spend more time with those I love.”
“I look forward to continuing to perform at the highest level over the next few years in various T20 competitions around the world,” she concluded.
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