BJ Watling to Retire From All Forms of Cricket After England Tour
Watling has 8 Test centuries to his credit with 3,773 Test runs at an average of 38.11.
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New Zealand keeper-batsman BJ Watling will be retiring from all forms of cricket after the upcoming tour to England, that will include two Tests against the hosts and the inaugural World Test Championship final against India from 18 June. If he features in all of them, which he will in all likelihood, the diminutive stumper will finish with 76 Test appearances for the BlackCaps. Known for his stonewalling heroics when the chips were down, Watling has 8 Test centuries to his credit with an overall tally of 3,773 runs at an average of 38.11.
"It's the right time," Watling was quoted as saying in a statement released by New Zealand Cricket on Tuesday.
"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," said the 35-year-old reflecting on his illustrious red-ball career.
"Sitting in the changing rooms having a beer with the team after five days' toil is what I'll miss the most. I've played with some great players and made many good mates. I've also had plenty of help along the way for which I'll always be grateful," Watling added.
"My wife Jess has been a constant source of stability and support, and I'm certainly looking forward to being able to spend more time with her and the kids. I also owe a big thanks to my mum for steering me in the right direction early on and always being there for me.’’
Watling enters the final throes of his cricketing journey with 249 catches (including 10 as a fielder) and eight stumpings to his name. Watling has always been a tidy customer behind the sticks, a vantage point from wherein he also passed on valuable pieces of advice to his team mates with respect to field manipulation or the ideal line and lengths to bowl at. A perennial saviour for New Zealand lower down the order, Watling has many valiant knocks under his belt, most notably a marathon double hundred against England in a miraculous win at the Bay Oval in 2019.
Watling was also part of two lion-hearted partnerships – 362 runs with Brendon McCullum against India at the Basin Reserve in 2014 and 365* with Kane Williamson against Sri Lanka at the same venue in 2015. It's the double hundred that will linger long in the memory of his coach Gary Stead, who believes Watling’s contributions are of paramount importance to New Zealand's success in the longest format over the past decade.
"BJ is a wonderful player and a great bloke. He works really hard on his game to get improvements and always puts the team first. You just have to look at the respect he's held in by his teammates and the opposition to appreciate his standing in the game,’’ Stead showered praises on the keeper-bat.
"The records speak for themselves, and he's been such a crucial cog in the Test team's rise over the past decade. That double hundred he scored at the Mount in 2019 was one of the best innings I've ever seen and epitomised BJ Watling as a player, really.’’
"The attitude and fight he brings to every day and every session of a Test is what has made him such a valued member of the BLACKCAPS. He is without a doubt one of our best ever wicket-keeper batsmen," Stead added.
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