Grant Elliott Announces Retirement From All Forms Of Cricket

Former New Zealand batsman Grant Elliott, on Tuesday (August 21), announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.

The right-handed batsman’s decision came after his stint with Birmingham Bears in the T20 Blast, which ended when the team failed to qualify for the knockouts .

Elliott made his first-class debut way back in 1996 and went on to play 83 first-class games, 211 List A games and 150 T20 games across the globe. He left his native South Africa in 2001 for New Zealand and made his international debut in March 2008. Elliott was named in New Zealand’s 13-man squad for the first Test against England at Hamilton.

Elliott took to Instagram to confirm the news, describing his journey and thanking one and all who helped him achieve his dream.

“Started in Johannesburg finished in Birmingham,” he wrote on Instagram. “I remember being 12 and writing down my life goals. To play in a World Cup, play international cricket and play county cricket. 27 years on and I have loved every minute of it.

“Thanks to all the memorable people I have met that have made this journey special. To family and friends who have given me unwavering support despite all the sacrifices, I have had to make that have impacted them.

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A post shared by Grant Elliott (@grantelliottnz)

“This game is a special one but it doesn’t define us. Looking forward to the future with great excitement and sharing a drink with those selfless players I shared a change room with.”

Elliott, who retired from international cricket in March last year, scored 3883 runs in first-class cricket.  He also played 211 List A games and 150 T20s, scoring 7,000 runs and picking up 242 wickets.

The highlight of his involvement at the top level came in 2015 when he struck a six off the penultimate ball to secure a dramatic win against South Africa in the World Cup semifinal at Eden Park.

Elliott played five tests and 16 T20s for New Zealand but was most prominent in the ODI format, where he played 83 games and scored almost 2000 runs at an average of 34.06 and took 39 wickets at 30.23.