New Delhi:Veteran England batter Tammy Beaumont has confirmed that she will be retiring from international cricket after the one-off historic Test match against India at Lord's. Beaumont holds several major records under her belt and will bow out as one of the finest English batters in women's cricket.
Beaumont was Player of the Tournament at the 2017 Women’s ODI World Cup, where she was England’s leading run-scorer as they won the tournament. Her first appearance was in 2009 and this will be her 261st international after playing 260 matches for England.
“To have played for England for nearly 17 years has been the greatest honour. When I fell in love with playing cricket as a young girl I barely knew that playing cricket for England was an option, and it brings me so much joy to think how many girls and boys have been inspired, this summer especially, and how far the game has come in our country,” said Beaumont announcing her retirement.
'We have always wanted to take the cap forward for the next generation and the time has come for me to hand over that privilege to the next generation of England players. This Test match at Lord’s – our first ever women’s Test at Lord’s – feels like the perfect occasion to sign off on a career that I could never have dreamt would be as special as it has been.
But Beaumont said she will continue to play in the domestic circuit. “Still playing domestic cricket, but thank you to all the fans for your amazing support. “I’d also like to thank all the coaches and support staff that I’ve worked with over the years, my teammates that I’ve shared so many amazing moments with and my friends and family – I couldn’t have got this far without your love and support over the years,” she said.
Meanwhile, England Women’s managing director Clare Connor had nothing but praise for the veteran batter. “Tammy has been an amazing contributor to the England Women’s team and we will miss her massively.
There’s no way to quantify or describe the impact Tammy has made on our sport. She played her first few years for England as an amateur, one of the few remaining players whose international careers were forged through extraordinary levels of devotion and commitment and love of the game.
She was one of the 18 players to be handed the first England Women’s Central Contract in 2015 and was named Player of the Tournament at the home ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in 2017. The runs she scored for England at the top of the order have put her in the category of one of the great batters of the game."
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