The South African-born power hitter Colin Munro, who has smashed the batting records for the New Zealand cricket team, has now taken retirement from international cricket after missing out on a spot in the T20 World Cup squad of Kiwis.
The 37-year-old left-hand batsman’s last international match was a T20 against the Indian cricket team in 2020. He had long hoped to make his way back into the squad. On Friday, in a statement, he said, All though it has been a while since my last appearance, I never give up on the hope that I might be able to return that to the T20 format. Now, with the announcement of the T20 World Cup squad of the New Zealand cricket team, it is the perfect time for me to officially close that chapter.”
Munro made his T20 international debut against South Africa back in 2012. He has played 122 white-ball matches for the New Zealand cricket team and a solitary test match against South Africa in 2013.
In the year 2018 the century he smashed in 47 balls against the West Indies cricket team was the fastest T20 century for New Zealand at the time. With that century he became the first player to score three T20 international centuries.
His 14-ball half century against Sri Lanka at Auckland Aden Park in 2016 is still the fastest in a T20 international by a New Zealand cricket player and the fourth fastest of all time.
Along with the two T20 World Cups, Munro was also in the New Zealand squad that suffered a hard-breaking defeat in the 50-over 2019 World Cup final match against the England cricket team.
New Zealand cricket boss Scott Weenik said Munro continues to play franchise cricket, but his legacy remains in the short format game as a pioneer of aggressive 360-degree style batting.
Weenik further said, “ The calculator risk-taking was taken to a new level by him and he also brought a revolution in the way the shortest format of cricket was played. For his amazing contribution in more than 100 international games we will be always thankful to him.”
Munro has already represented the New Zealand cricket team in 57 one-day internationals and 65 T20 internationals; he also has a test cap to his name and has made his only appearance in the red-ball internationals against South Africa in the year 2013.
