England pacer Harry Gurney announces retirement from all forms of the game

England pacer Harry Gurney has decided to bring the curtains down on his cricket career. Unfortunately, his career was plagued due to injuries and even now, he was recovering from his shoulder injury. Gurney played 10 ODIs and 2 T20Is for England in his short international career and picked up 11 and 3 wickets in the two formats respectively.

However, the left-arm pacer was a vital cog of his county team Nottinghamshire. Gurney played a whopping 103 first-class, 93 List A and 156 T20 matches in his career picking a total of 614 wickets across all the formats. He also won three trophies with Nottinghamshire and played crucial role in the teams T20 blast triumph in 2017. He also played for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL playing 8 matches and picking 7 wickets.

Harry Gurney set to become a businessman

Speaking about his decision to retire, Harry Gurney claimed that this is the right time for him to walk away. He also revealed that he was preparing to leave the sport and will become a businessman now. Gurney is excited to start a new innings of his life but didn’t forget to thank all the teams he played for in his career.

“The time has arrived for me to hang up my boots. After trying to recover from the recent injury to my shoulder, I am truly disappointed to have to end my playing career as a result of it. From the first time I picked up a cricket ball at the age of ten, I was completely obsessed. Cricket has been my life for 24 years and has taken me on an incredible journey that I will cherish forever.

“Playing for England, in the IPL and winning eight trophies at home and abroad including the Blast, Big Bash and CPL has exceeded my wildest dreams. I always prepared for leaving cricket and I have discovered a new path in business that gives me the same excitement that I felt when I discovered the game all those years ago.

“That is a path I will now go down with immediate effect, as I have found this injury recovery too much of a mountain to climb,” Gurney said according to Nottinghamshire’s official website. The 34-year-old also thanked his family, especially his father, for their support during the tough times in his career. He also stated that he had an excellent time on and off the field while sharing the dressing room with his teammates.

“I’ve had an incredible time, on and off the field, sharing a pitch and a dressing room with teammates who have become friends for life. But to my family, and particularly my dad, John, I owe the biggest thanks. He has been an unwavering support from my first ball to my last. Making him and my entire family proud has been by far my biggest source of joy.

“Last but not least, thank you to my amazing wife Avril who has been on the journey with me through thick and thin. I can’t wait to spend more time with her and my beautiful children Arthur and Mabel,” the cricketer further added.