The international cricket career of Colin de Grandhomme comes to an end; he announces retirement!
The international cricket career of Colin de Grandhomme comes to an end; he announces retirement! Colin de Grandhomme, an all-rounder from New Zealand, has said that he will no longer play international cricket. He said that injuries and the fact that the national team was getting more and more competitive in all three formats led him to make the decision.
“I accept I’m not getting any younger and that the training is getting harder, particularly with the injuries,” he said in a statement released by New Zealand Cricket. “I also have a growing family and am trying to understand what my future looks like post-cricket. All of this has been on my mind over the past few weeks.”
“I’ve been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to play for the Black Caps since debuting in 2012, and I’m proud of my international career – but I feel this is the right time to finish.”
De Grandhomme’s Contribution to New Zealand
De Grandhomme played for New Zealand in 115 international games over a period of more than 10 years. He was a pretty regular member of the team during these years because he could bowl at a steady medium speed and hit hard at the bottom of the batting order. He was on the team that beat India in the first-ever World Test Championship final in 2021 and also on the team that lost by a small margin in the World Cup final in 2019.
De Grandhomme began his international career in 2012 with a Twenty20 International (T20I) against Zimbabwe in Auckland. He was born in Zimbabwe but left in 2006, and the last time he played for New Zealand was in the Lord’s Test against England in June. He finished with two centuries, eight half-centuries, and 49 wickets in 29 Tests. On his debut against Pakistan in 2016, he took 6 wickets for 41 runs. In 45 ODIs, he also took 30 wickets and scored 742 runs at a strike rate of 106.15.
In the 41 T20Is he played, he scored 505 runs and took 12 wickets for a strike rate of 138.35.
De Grandhomme on retirement
“I’ve loved being part of this team over the past decade and am grateful for the experiences we’ve shared together,” he said. “I’ve made many lasting friendships with teammates, coaching staff and opponents, and will treasure the memories for the rest of my life.”
De Grandhomme was born in Harare, Zimbabwe, in 1986. Both his first-class and List A debuts took place there. He also played for Zimbabwe in the Under-19 World Cup in 2003–2004. He moved to Auckland in 2006. The following year, he played his first T20 game for Auckland, and his all-around skills helped him get into the international scene.
De Grandhomme has said that he wants to keep playing domestic cricket in New Zealand, and he will talk with Northern Districts about how to move forward.
Gary Stead understands the move.
Gary Stead, the head coach of New Zealand, was sad that de Grandhomme was leaving international rugby, but he understood why he was leaving.
“Colin’s been a hugely influential part of the Black Caps and contributed to some of the team’s greatest achievements,” he said. “His immense power with the bat and skills with the ball made him a real match winner and an asset to any side.”
“Colin’s a great team-man and we will certainly miss his character around the dressing room. While it’s sad to see him go – we appreciate he’s at a stage in his career where he’s looking to head in a different direction and we respect that. We wish him all the best with his future and hope to see him featuring on the New Zealand domestic scene when available.”