Gloucestershire spinner Smith announces retirement

Tom Smith has been working on Gloucestershire's coaching team as well as playing in 2025

Gloucestershire spinner Tom Smith has confirmed he will retire from cricket at the end of the club's T20 Blast campaign.

Thursday's match against Sussex at Cheltenham will be the final home game of his near 13-year career with the club.

With the defending champions unlikely to reach the quarter-finals, Smith is set to play his final match at Somerset on Friday.

The 37-year-old made his debut for Gloucestershire in 2013 and won the One-Day Cup in 2015 and Blast title last year.

He signed a one-year T20 contract in November and has played five times in 2025 alongside working in the Gloucestershire coaching team.

"It feels like the right time," Smith said in an open letter on the club's website.

"Over the past few seasons, I've been fortunate to begin building a coaching career alongside playing, and I'm now ready to give that my full focus.

"To Gloucestershire, thank you for believing in me. These past 13 seasons have been incredibly special for both me and my family.

"From playing a part in the club's promotion to Division One to winning two white-ball trophies, they've been the best days I've had on a cricket field."

Smith is Gloucestershire's second all-time leading T20 wicket-taker with 154 and he has taken 301 wickets across all formats.

He made his debut, on loan from Middlesex, 12 years ago before making the move permanent the following season.

'One of the most consistent spinners in the country'

He took 11 wickets during their 2015 One-Day Cup winning campaign, including two in the final win against Surrey at Lord's.

"While Tom played more than 50 first-class matches, it's in white-ball cricket where he truly excelled. With 186 appearances, he has been one of the most consistent spinners in the country," head coach Mark Alleyne said.

"As he begins a new chapter in coaching, we're confident he'll approach it with the same energy and skill that defined his playing career.

"He's already made great strides in this area, and while the transition is expected to be seamless, we will never forget the outstanding contribution he has made to Gloucestershire cricket."

Smith is second on Gloucestershire's all-time T20 wicket-taker list with 154