Women's Cricket: England's Gunn retires from international cricket

England women all-rounder Jenny Gunn has called it quits from international cricket at the age of 33. She ended her career with 259 appearances across all three formats for England. She is the second-most capped England player in the history of women's cricket. The first on this list is Charlotte Edwards with 309 appearances to her name. Gunn played 11 Tests, 144 ODIs and 104 T20Is after she debuted in 2004. The seam bowler is the second player from the 2017 World Cup-winning squad to retire in recent weeks after wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor called it a day due to her reported ongoing battle with anxiety.

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Gunn's words of gratitude:

"I have made one of the hardest decisions and decided the time has come to retire from international cricket. I started as a young kid playing the game I loved for fun and I could only dream of becoming a professional cricketer. I've been lucky enough to play in some great teams and to be part of some amazing battles over the years. As a small girl, I always said I wanted to put a World Cup medal next to my dad's European Cup winner's medal and there are now three of them next to his medal on the mantelpiece," Gunn was quoted as saying by the ECB. "I'm so grateful for the support throughout my career and I couldn't have done it without my friends. But most of all, I couldn't have done it without my family, all of whom have been there for me every step of the way," she added.

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Highlights of Gunn's career:

Gunn debuted at the age of 18 for England against South Africa, in England's first-ever T20 international match. She was the first cricketer - male or female - to play 100 T20Is. She ends her career as England's third-highest T20I wicket-taker and the second-highest in ODI cricket. Gunn was also the vice-captain of the limited-overs side between 2010 and 2014 and she led the side three times in the absence of Charlotte Edwards. She was a part of the 2017 World Cup-winning squad. She also won 5 Ashes series with England.

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Clare Connor, Managing Director of England Women's Cricket, expressed her gratitude towards Gunn and thanked her for her services to the team: "Jenny has been the most tremendous servant to England Women's cricket throughout the 15 years she has played for England. Her longevity, work ethic, and commitment have been hugely impressive across both the amateur and professional eras and on countless occasions, she has delivered match-winning performances for the team with both bat and ball."

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