England cricketer Sarah Taylor retires from international cricket

What's the story?

England cricketer Sarah Taylor has announced her retirement from international cricket. Anxiety issues are said to be the reason behind her decision of retiring at the age of 30.

In case you didn't know...

Having begun her international career in 2006, Sarah scored 6553 runs across all formats, which is second on the list of England's all-time list of women run-scorers. Apart from her success with the bat, Sarah was a revelation behind the stumps. She has 232 dismissals to her name, the most in women's cricket.

A part of 10 Tests, 126 ODIs and 90 T20Is for her country, Sarah Taylor will go down as one of the best to have played for the England Women's cricket team.

Sarah has won the 50-over World Cup in 2017 and 2009, while she was also part of the World T20 winning team in 2009. She was also successful on an individual level, winning the ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year three times and the Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year in 2014.

The heart of the matter

Earlier today, the cricketer took to her twitter handle to announce the decision of her retirement.

In 2006 my dream came true and I beam with pride at what I've achieved over the years, alongside the best players and people. It is the right time for me and my health to retire, but I have loved every minute in an England shirt. Thank you to everyone for supporting me ❤️ pic.twitter.com/8MdTqpgmWe

— Sarah Taylor (@Sarah_Taylor30) September 27, 2019

The England and Wales Cricket Board cited Sarah's inability to come to terms with her anxiety issues as the reason for her retirement. The cricketer has been dealing with anxiety for a while now. After the 2016 World T20 in India, she had taken an indefinite break from the game before making a return to the national team for the 2017 World Cup.

Sarah said:

“This has been a tough decision but I know it's the right one, for me and for my health moving forward.

“I can't thank my teammates enough, both past and present, and the ECB for being supporters and friends along my journey.

“Playing for England and getting to wear the shirt for so long has been a dream come true and I have been blessed with so many great moments throughout my career.

“From making my debut in 2006, to Ashes wins, and of course the World Cup final at Lord's, to name just a few.

What's next?

The retirement of Sarah Taylor will be a big loss to the England Women's Team. Apart from her stability in the batting department, herpresence behind the stumps will be missed.

Also see – World Test Championship points table