Essex Stalwart James Foster Announces Retirement

Essex star James Foster has announced he would bring down curtains on his glittering career at the end of the 2018 season. Foster took the decision after his home county decided against renewing his contract.

Foster has plied his services for Essex since 2000. The wicketkeeper also represented England in seven Tests, 11 ODIs and five T20Is. He, however, last donned the England Test jersey way back during the 2002/03 Ashes. He last made his international appearance during the 2009 World T20.

Despite not making it big in international cricket, Foster is widely regarded as one of the best wicketkeepers in the world. Interestingly, Foster is the only man to ever stump the legendary Sachin Tendulkar in Test cricket.

But his impressive wicketkeeping should not undermine his contributions with the bat. Foster scored an impressive 23 first-class hundreds and 70 fifties. Overall, he amassed 13,761 runs at an average of over 36.

Foster’s finest moment with Essex came just last year when he won his first County Championship title at the age of 37. Having lost his place in the side at the start of the season, he worked hard to reclaim the gloves and played a crucial role in his Essex’s first Championship win since 1992.

Meanwhile, Foster looks set to remain connected to the game. The veteran is set to try his hands in coaching. He has previously worked with England, including during last week’s Oval Test. The 38-year old is now set to join the coaching staff of Big Bash team, the Sydney Thunders.

In a joint statement between Foster and Essex, he said:

“This was a decision I gave great consideration to, knowing the hard work it took me to get back into the side during the 2017 championship winning season, however I felt this was the right thing for me personally as coaching is the direction I want to explore when I eventually finish playing.”