West Indies batsman Lendl Simmons has retired from international cricket after 16 years in the sport, two days after fellow Trinidadian and former Windies teammate Denesh Ramdin made a similar announcement.
“I’m closing this chapter of international cricket, having played 144 matches and scoring 3,763 runs from all formats,” Simmons said in the announcement on Twitter on Monday.
“I still do extensive training and keep myself relatively fit, so my focus is to continue playing franchise cricket for as long as my body permits. Hopefully, I can continue to entertain the people of my region and all over the world for a few more years as I’m still timing the ball beautifully and beating bowling.”
The top-order batsman, who played for the West Indies in eight Tests, 68 ODIs, and 68 T20Is, last represented the Caribbean side against South Africa in a group stage match at last year’s T20 World Cup.
He said he had given the game his all throughout his career.
“I never cheated the game; I gave it 100 percent of hard work, and that is why I was able to play internationally for almost 16 years,” said Simmons, who made his debut for West Indies on December 7, 2006, with an ODI series against Pakistan in Faisalabad before playing his first T20 and Test matches in 2007 and 2009, respectively.
The right-handed batsman, occasional right-arm medium pace bowler, and part-time wicketkeeper offered advice to young cricketers as he urged them not to be ashamed to dream big.
“I wish the new crop of WI players all the best and to keep on believing in yourselves and your abilities,” he said.
“It takes a lot of a lot of determination, focus, and a strong mind to get over the numerous hurdles, but it is all worth it in the end.”
Simmons was part of the Windies’ winning 2012 and 2016 ICC T20 World Cup teams and participated in the Caribbean Premier League, where he was the leading run-scorer with 2,629 runs that included 20 half-centuries from a total of 91 innings. He also took his talents to the Indian Premier League, Pakistan Super League, Bangladesh Premier League, and the Abu Dhabi T10.
Of his total 3,763 runs in international cricket, Simmons made 1,958 in ODIs, 1,527 in T20I, and 278 in Tests.
He expressed gratitude to the West Indies cricket team for the opportunities provided to him; and thanked his family and friends, who were his “true motivators” and stood alongside him “when the odds were against me,” as well as his fans, who cheered him on from the stands or via social media.
Last Friday, in a post on Instagram, former West Indies captain Ramdin announced his retirement from international cricket but not professional cricket, as he said he will still be playing franchise cricket around the world.
The wicketkeeper-batter said the past 14 years of his career “have been a dream come true.”
“I fulfilled my childhood dreams by playing cricket for Trinidad and Tobago and the West Indies,” he said.
Ramdin, who was also part of the West Indies T20 World Cup triumphs in 2012 and 2016, played a total of 74 Tests, 139 ODIs, and 71 T20Is for the West Indies.
He last played for the Caribbean side in a T20I in December 2019.
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