Ireland's wicket-keeper batsman Stuart Poynter ends international career to play county cricket 

Ireland's wicket-keeper batsman, Stuart Poynter has ended his four-year-long international career by signing a two-year deal with Durham. The 28-year-old had to take this call to extend his contract with the English county side.

Earlier, the Irish cricketers could take part in the Specsavers County Championship as a local player. However, a change in the rules and regulations of the England Cricket Board forced Poynter to effectively end his international career before continuing to play as a local cricketer for Durham.

THANKS STUART! 👏👏👏We'd like to acknowledge the international career of @spoynter_90, and wish he and his family well in the next phase of their lives.Please join us in thanking Stuart for his service to Irish cricket.Read more: https://t.co/rVqptJhEba#BackingGreen ☘️🏏 pic.twitter.com/D1tBrmV45Q

— Cricket Ireland (@Irelandcricket) October 9, 2019

The wicket-keeper batsman had played one Test, 21 ODIs and 25 T20Is for the Irish team. Though he was not so successful in the only Test match he played, the Irishman had a decent record in the limited-overs formats.

He had scored 185 runs in his 50-over career while in the shortest format of the game, Poynter amassed 245 runs at a strike rate of 111.87.

The London-born keeper received a warm goodbye from the Irish cricket board as the Performance Director at Cricket Ireland, Richard Holdsworth bid him farewell by stating that,

“On behalf of the coaches, players past and present, and staff at Cricket Ireland I would like to thank Stuart for his service to Irish cricket since he made his debut for Ireland in 2011. Stuart has played 60 times for the national side, his last appearance being his Test debut against Afghanistan in early 2019."

“He has certainly been one of a cohort of players who has been part of the rapid climb of Irish cricket over the last decade from Associate Member to Full Member with Test match status, and I’m pleased for Stuart personally that he played in a Test match before he finished with international duties."

Holdsworth wished Poynter and his family well before asking for their support in the development of the Irish cricket team.

Ireland's cricket team will soon compete in the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier in the UAE from where six of the fourteen participating nations will qualify for the main event scheduled to happen in Australia next year.

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