sport news David Willey announces he will retire from international cricket at the end of ... trends now

View
comments

England all-rounder David Willey today announced he would retire from international cricket, ‘with great regret’ at the end of the World Cup after he was passed over for one of the ECB’s new set of central contracts.

Willey has been one of the few England players to emerge from any credit during their shambolic title defence, and on Sunday in Lucknow inflicted a nine-ball duck on Indian star Virat Kohli.

But Rob Key, the ECB’s managing director of men’s cricket, admitted last week that Willey ‘wasn’t best pleased’ to have been the only member of the 15-man World Cup squad not to be awarded even a one-year contract.

Worse, as far as Willey was concerned, was the fact that a further 15 England players not currently in India also earned deals, leaving him on the outer at the age of 33.

It seems he will now commit to seeing out his career with his native Northamptonshire, whom he rejoined last year after seven seasons at Yorkshire, and on the global T20 franchise circuit.