Melbourne: Australian women’s cricket team star batter and vice- captain Rachel Haynes Thursday announced her retirement from international cricket, bringing the curtains down on an illustrious career.
The 35-year-old southpaw, who made her international debut back in 2009, represented her country in six Tests, 77 ODIs, and 84 T20Is.
“To all the teammates across my career, you are the reason I’ve played as long as I have. You’ve inspired me to be better every day. I’ve learnt something from all of you, on and off the field,” Haynes said in a statement.
“You’ve challenged me as a player, helped me grow as a person and most importantly, made cricket fun,” she added.
Haynes is the ninth highest run-getter for Australia in both the limited overs formats, having scored 2585 runs in ODIs at an average of 39.76 and 850 runs in T20Is, averaging 26.56.
She has served as Australia’s vice-captain since 2018. Since then, Australia have bagged three World Cups — one 50-over and two T20 — and also a gold medal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games this year.
“One of the great things about having a long career is watching those around you develop. I’m extremely proud of the way this team has brought players in and nurtured their development,” she said.
“The ability to help players transition smoothly has been instrumental to our team’s success. To be a leader within this environment has been the greatest privilege of my career,” she added.
Haynes, however, will continue to play in the Women’s Big Bash League with the Sydney Thunder from next month but will not be part of the New South Wales team’s domestic campaign, starting next week.
“On behalf of everyone at Cricket Australia I’d like to congratulate Rachael on an amazing career and also recognise the outstanding contribution she has made off the field,” said Nick Hockley, the Cricket Australia chief executive.