England pacer Katherine Brunt retires from Test cricket

LONDON: Veteran England pacer Katherine Brunt has announced her retirement from Test cricket. Katherine, 36, walks away from the format as England's third-leading Test wicket-taker with 51 wickets in 14 matches, including three five-wicket hauls with a best of 6/69 against Australia at Worcester in 2009.

"I feel like as an athlete there is never an obvious time to step away from doing the thing that you love. But over the past two years thoughts of retirement have surfaced more and more, so I've decided to make a smart decision rather than an emotional one. Test cricket is my absolute passion and to retire from this format was truly a heartbreaking choice to make, but it allows me to prioritise white-ball cricket," said Katherine in a statement.

Katherine, who made her Test debut in 2004, took eight wickets in her final Test, the thrilling draw in the women's Ashes Test in Canberra, Australia, claiming 5/60 in the first innings and 3/24 in the second essay. She retires having enjoyed the tenth-longest Test career in the history of the women's game. Katherine will continue to play white-ball cricket for England, where she has bagged 167 wickets in 140 ODIs and scalped 98 wickets in 96 T20Is. IANS

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