Prior retires from cricket

London, June 11: England wicket-keeper Matt Prior announced his retirement on medical advice from all forms of professiol cricket on Thursday. The gloveman was out of action since July 2014 because of a recurring Achilles tendon injury. “Today is a very sad day for me as I am forced to announce my retirement from the game I love. I had been hoping and expecting to be fit for the start of the 2015 season. Unfortutely, this has proved impossible, and I have now had to reach this decision,” Prior said in a statement released by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

“I feel honoured to have played for Sussex and England as many times as I have and shared so many great times with both teams. I also feel privileged to have been involved in an era of such success for English cricket,” he added.

Prior played 79 Tests, scoring 4,099 runs and effecting 256 dismissals. He appeared in 68 One-Day Intertiols (ODIs), contributing 1282 runs and 79 dismissals. IANS