NZ's Colin Munro retires from international cricket after T20 WC snub

Christchurch: New Zealand’s Colin Munro, a bruising top-order batter, on Friday announced his retirement from international cricket after he was not included in the national team for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Munro played one Test, 57 ODIs and 65 T20Is for the Kiwis amassing a total of 3010 runs, but it was in the shortest format the left-hander made a name for himself.

In T20Is, he struck runs at an impressive 156.44 and the 37-year-old remains one of the handful of players who have made upwards of 10000 runs across all T20 competitions.

The Durban-born cricketer has made 10961 runs from 428 T20s, averaging 30.44 and striking at 141.25.

However, Munro’s final game for New Zealand came back in 2020 when he appeared in a T20I game against India at Mount Maunganui.

“Playing for the Black Caps has always been the biggest achievement in my playing career,” said Munro in his retirement statement.

“The fact that I’ve been able to do that 123 times across all formats is something I will always be incredibly proud of,” he added.

Munro said it was the right time to bid adieu to top-level cricket.

“Although it has been a while since my last appearance, I never gave up hope that I might be able to return off the back of my franchise T20 form.

“With the announcement of the Black Caps squad for the T20 World Cup now is the perfect time to close that chapter officially,” he said.

New Zealand coach Gary Stead had said that Munro’s name came up for discussion while picking the squad, but could not find a place for him eventually.

However, he will continue to ply his trade in various T20 leagues across the world.

Munro has some fine records against his name as his 14-ball 50 at Sri Lanka at Eden Park in 2016 still stands at the fastest T20I fifty by a New Zealand batsman, and the fourth quickest of all time.

He also has a 47-ball century against the West Indies to his credit in 2018, and at that time it was the fastest T20I hundred by a Kiwi, which also made him the first player to score three T20I tons.