English Cricketer Craig Kieswetter Announces Retirement from Professional Cricket

English Cricketer Craig Kieswetter Announces Retirement from Professional Cricket: The England wicket-keeper batsman, Craig Kieswetter has decided to retire from professional cricketing career as a result of the horrific eye injury he suffered last July in a county championship game. The 27-year old right hander made this call through a press release from his county side Somerset County Cricket Club.

South African born Craig Kieswetter, began his professional cricket in 2007 when he represented Somerset in Friends Provident One Day Trophy. Having a Scottish mother, Kieswetter received the nationality quite easily, through which he represented the England’s national side.

In his First Class Cricket career, Kieswetter played 115 matches and scored 5728 runs at an average of 39.23 and bagged 319 dismissals behind the stumps.

He scored 4254 runs in List A cricket in 134 matches at an average of 39.38 and made 162 dismissals.

Coming to Twenty20 format, Kieswetter made 90 dismissals while scoring 3376 runs at an impressive average of 31.76 and a striking rate of 122. Kieswetter, who has been an eye delight with his off side shots got a decent run in the limited overs formats at the international level as well, while he represented England in 45 ODIs and 26 T20Is between 2010 and 2013.

He made his international debut vs Bangaldesh at Dhaka in a ODI in 2010. The same year he made his T20I debut in World T20 held in West Indies where he played a brilliant 63 run knock against Australia in finals leading his side to title victory and won the man of the match award. He scored 222 runs at an average of 31.71 in the successful tournament.

Kieswetter scored 1054 runs in ODIs at an average of 30.11 which included a century and 5 fifties. He affected 12 stumping and 52 catches behind stumps in the 50-over format.

In T20Is, he scored 564 runs at an average of 21.91 with 3 fifties and made 20 dismissals behind stumps.

Kieswetter’s career took a diversion when he got hit on between his eye and nose by a short delivery from left-armer David-Willey while playing against Northamptonshire during a county game. The ball made cut through the grills and went on to fracture the cheek bone, just under eye and nose.

After recovery of his injury, Kieswetter played a quite number of matches in County championship and in Ram Slam T20 in South Africa but fail to regain his vision properly. He consulted eye specialist in January of this year in USA and underwent treatment before he announced his decision to call off his career.

He represented his mother land South Africa at Under 19 level and played in 2006 ICC Under-19 World Cup hosted by Sri Lanka, where he scored 120 runs in 5 games at an average of 30.

His last match in professional cricketing career came in his birth country, South Africa while playing in Ram Slam T20 in December, 2014 for Warriors. He played his last game vs Cape Cobras at Paarl.

Regarding his decision on retirement, Craig Kieswetter had released a tweet which is available on Somerset cricket county club’s website.

Kieswetter’s tweet:

Probably the hardest decision I've had to make but one that is definitely the right move forward. pic.twitter.com/lDtxQ6PA0L

— Craig Kieswetter (@kiesy_22) June 5, 2015

Apparently chicks dig scars…?! #rocky pic.twitter.com/DcGBhp5unN

— Craig Kieswetter (@kiesy_22) July 13, 2014