The indefatigable New Zealand pacer Neil Wagner has announced his retirement from international cricket, bringing down the curtains on a 12-year-old Test career during which he earned 64 Test caps and won the inaugural World Test Championship.
Wagner, 37, made the decision after it was brought to his knowledge that he would not be part of the XI in the Test series against Australia starting in Wellington on February 29. He will be released from the squad before the second Test in Christchurch, meaning he bids adieu to the international game with 260 Test wickets – fifth on New Zealand’s all-time charts – at a strike-rate of 52.7 that is next best only to the legendary Sir Richard Hadlee among New Zealanders with 100 Test wickets or more.
Wagner was a workhorse renowned for his ability to bowl long and intense spells on unhelpful surfaces. His short-pitched bowling was a force to reckon with, unsettling even Steve Smith, widely considered the best Test batter of the current era.
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