Jack Shantry: Worcestershire left-arm paceman retires because of back injury
- Published
Jack Shantry joined Worcestershire from his native Shropshire in 2009
Worcestershire's left-arm paceman Jack Shantry has retired at the age of 30 because of a long-standing back injury.
Shantry made the decision on medical advice and announced it on his personal Twitter page., external
He took 266 wickets in 92 first-class matches at 29.25 for the county.
"Whilst I am incredibly disappointed to retire at 30, I'm immeasurably grateful for the opportunities afforded to me by Worcestershire over the last 10 seasons," said Shantry.
"I feel lucky to have shared a dressing room with the players that I did, and happy to have achieved more in the professional game than I thought I would.
"I will carry on for the rest of the season in an ambassadorial role for the club. In the short term, I will be pursuing opportunities in the media as well as coaching, while long-term I plan to continue my umpiring qualifications."
Signed from his native Shropshire in 2009, Shantry enjoyed his best season when he took 57 County Championship Division One wickets in 2015
He also hit two first-class centuries - the first of them, 101 not out in a narrow win against Surrey at New Road in September 2014, in the same game in which he recorded his only 10-wicket Championship haul.
In one-day cricket, he took 92 List A wickets in 73 games and 92 T20 wickets in 90 games, as well as being a useful big-hitting tail-ender,
Worcestershire head coach Kevin Sharp, who also worked with Shantry for Shropshire, added: "Shants has been a great servant to the club. An unusual bowler, who has taken a lot of wickets.
"He came in the dressing room on Saturday after the end of the Lancashire game and said a few words to the lads. A top lad, a very popular member in the squad and we wish him well for the future."
Shantry comes from a cricket family, with father Brian (for Gloucestershire) and brother Adam (for Northants, Warwickshire and Glamorgan) having also played at first-class level.
Worcestershire's Jack Shantry was a better than average tail-ender with two first-class centuries to his name