BJ Watling: New Zealand wicketkeeper to retire after England tour
- Published
Watling made his Test debut against Pakistan in December 2009 - as a specialist opening batsman
New Zealand wicketkeeper BJ Watling will retire from all cricket after the Kiwis' tour of England in June.
Watling, 35, will play in the World Test Championship final against India at the Ageas Bowl, and then against England at Lord's from 2 June and Edgbaston from 10 June before retiring.
He has played 106 times for the Black Caps across all three formats, scoring 4,384 runs and taking 282 catches.
"It's the right time," said Watling, who made his New Zealand debut in 2009.
"It's been a huge honour to represent New Zealand and in particular wear the Test baggy. Test cricket really is the pinnacle of the game, and I've loved every minute of being out there in the whites with the boys.
"Sitting in the changing rooms having a beer with the team after five days' toil is what I'll miss the most."
South Africa-born Watling moved to New Zealand aged 10 and made 73 appearances in Test cricket with a batting average of 38.11, his highest score of 205 coming against England at Mount Maunganui in November 2019.
He also appeared in 28 one-day internationals, averaging 24.91, and five Twenty20 internationals - as well as featuring in two County Championship matches for Durham in 2019.
He was also involved in New Zealand's record sixth and seventh-wicket Test partnerships, sharing an unbroken stand of 365 with captain Kane Williamson for the sixth wicket against Sri Lanka in Wellington in 2015, before adding 261 with Mitchell Santner for the seventh wicket on the way to that double century against England at the Bay Oval.
In his entire first-class career, he scored 10,017 runs and took 442 catches.