South African wicketkeeper-batter Trisha Chetty has announced her retirement from professional cricket. A recurring back problem compelled the decision, bringing a 21-year career in domestic and international cricket to an end.
The 34-year-old, who made her international debut in 2007, played 134 ODIs, 82 T20Is, and two Tests, totaling nearly 4000 runs in international cricket. Chetty finished her career as the wicketkeeper with the most dismissals in women’s ODIs, with 184, and she also finished with 70 dismissals in T20Is.
“I can still remember the incredible feeling I had back in 2007 as I walked over the boundary rope, dressed in green and gold for the first time. For the past 16 years, it has been a privilege to represent my country and play for the Proteas, and that feeling has never gone away – each time I pulled on my South African kit I felt honoured to be doing so,” Chetty said in a statement released by CSA on Friday (March 17).
“But now, due to a recurring back injury for the past 5 years, the time has come for me to hang up my boots and let the gloves catch dust. I have tried everything to keep playing and have pushed as hard as I can but my body is signalling that it has no more to give and it is time to retire from all forms of cricket.
“This was not an easy decision for me, and even now, I can’t quite believe my career is over. However, my cricket career has been a life-changing experience and I look back with no regrets and a full heart…Cricket has taught me about life, being disciplined, what it means to be professional and how to be a team player. For this, I will always be grateful. And I choose to continue to be grateful for cricket as I retire and transition into the next chapter of my life,” she said.