New Zealand left-handed batsman Colin Munro has announced his retirement from international cricket after a career that saw him make 123 appearances across formats for the Black Caps. The 37-year-old has so far played 65 T20Is, 57 ODIs and one Test for New Zealand, with his last appearance being in the T20I home series against India back in 2020. . New Zealand have announced the selection of their next T20 squad. At the World Cup, Munro was one of many players who did not make it. The normally explosive batsman continued to cite his exclusion from the team as an ideal opportunity to finally end his illustrious career.
At the end of Munro's international career, the batsman averaged 31 runs, 1,724 runs, and a strike rate of 156.4, ranking him sixth in New Zealand's top T20I scorers. His talent in the shortest format of the match took him a brilliant triple century, which is also the highest by any batsman to have played for the national team.
Munro took to his social media handles to reflect on his time with New Zealand and how he thinks the time is right to finally retire from national team duties.
“Playing for the Black Caps has always been the biggest achievement of my playing career. I have never been more proud than to wear that jersey and to have done it 123 times across all formats. “I am announcing my retirement from international cricket today. ” Munro's post read.
Munro went on to share his views on New Zealand's recent absence from T20I matches, reflecting on the reasons behind it.
“It's been a while since I last played, but I never gave up hope that I might be able to come back from my franchise T20 performance. I completely understand why that didn't happen, but Black With the announcement of the Caps, now is the perfect time for the World T20 team to officially close their chapter and we can't wait to see them in action in the Caribbean Franchise Arena around the world. I look forward to continuing my role,” Munro added.
New Zealand Cricket Chief Scott Wienink also reflected on Munro's career with the national team.
“Colin was one of the first players to embrace the aggressive 360-degree style of batting that is now accepted as best practice around the world. He was one of the pioneers of the new game, taking calculated risks. He was an innovative batsman who took takings to a new level and ushered in what became a revolution in the way short-form cricket was played. I wish him every success in the future,” Wieninck said.
Before making his international debut in New Zealand's 2012-13 tour of South Africa, Munro also played a key role in the team at the 2006 ICC U19 World Cup. With his batting ability, he emerged as one of the key elements of New Zealand's white-ball format, especially with his great batting ability placing in the team's top order. Munro also played a key role in New Zealand's 2014 and 2016 T20 World Cup campaigns, as well as the 2019 ODI World Cup squad.