LONDON (Agencies): Katherine Sciver-Brunt has retired from international cricket, saying that playing for England “saved her life”.
One of the greatest fast bowlers to play the game, Sciver-Brunt, 37, has taken 335 international wickets, more than any other woman for England.
In a 19-year career, she won the Ashes three times, the 50-over World Cup twice and T20 title once.
“I’m proud of the last 19 years and I’m proud of who I am now. It’s been special,” she said. Sciver-Brunt, who will play one more season in The Hundred with Trent Rockets, revealed she made the decision to end her England career at the Fairbreak T20 competition in Hong Kong in April.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Sciver-Brunt said: “It’s definitely the right time and I’m definitely happy with the decision I’ve made.
“I feel like I’ve been thinking about if forever, not so much from a love perspective, but from a body perspective and if I am still giving the best I can for England. “My mind has slipped in the past six to eight months, where I have felt I haven’t been able to give 100% of myself.”
Sciver-Brunt made her England debut in 2004 and a year later was part of the England team who beat Australia to win the Women’s Ashes for the first time in 42 years. She is ending her international career just before another Ashes series, with England looking to regain the urn this summer.
“It was so, so hard, because I love Ashes series more than anything,” she said. “You can’t explain it and you can’t replicate it. When you’re right in the heat of it, it’s great. Even when we’re losing, it’s great. “That little carrot was dangled and that was definitely so hard to let go.”
A bowler of genuine pace in possession of an arcing out-swinger, Sciver-Brunt has won 267 caps for England across the three formats. Her 170 wickets in one-day internationals and 114 in T20s are both England records. Overall, only India’s Jhulan Goswami, with 355, has taken more wickets in women’s internationals than Sciver-Brunt.
Good enough with the bat to score more than 1,800 international runs, it was legitimate to consider her as an all-rounder.
As well as the Ashes win of 2005, Sciver-Brunt was part of the England team who defeated Australia at home in 2013 and away in 2013-14. The T20 world title came in 2009, the same year as the first 50-over World Cup win, which was followed by victory over India at a sold-out Lord’s in the 2017 final. “When you hear them listed off, you realise that you’ve done it all,” said Sciver-Brunt.
“I really loved just taking part. Winning was brilliant, don’t get me wrong, but it’s the journey. The journey I’ve had has been so good.
