New Zealand wicketkeeper BJ Watling to retire from cricket

If he features in all three Tests of New Zealand’s tour of England in June – two against the hosts before the one-off showdown against India – Watling will surpass Adam Parore as the country’s most-capped Test gloveman

New Zealand wicketkeeper BJ Watling is to retire from cricket after the World Test Championship final against India next month.

The 35-year-old has become a widely respected figure in the international game over the course of a 106-match stint for the Blackcaps, comprising 73 Tests, 28 ODIs and five T20Is, while he has spent his entire domestic career with Northern Districts.

If, as expected, he features in all three Tests of New Zealand’s tour of England in June – two against the hosts before the one-off showdown against India – Watling will surpass Adam Parore as the country’s most-capped Test gloveman.

“It's the right time,” he said, having recently become a father for the second time. “It’s been a huge honour to represent New Zealand and in particular wear the Test baggy. Test cricket really is the pinnacle of the game and I've loved every minute of being out there in the whites with the boys.

“Sitting in the changing rooms having a beer with the team after five days’ toil is what I’ll miss the most. I’ve played with some great players and made many good mates. I've also had plenty of help along the way for which I'll always be grateful.

"My wife Jess has been a constant source of stability and support and I’m certainly looking forward to being able to spend more time with her and the kids. I also owe a big thanks to my mum for steering me in the right direction early on and always being there for me.”

^{Watling could usurp Adam Parore as his country's most-capped Test wicketkeeper}

Watling made his Test debut as an opening batsman, with Brendon McCullum keeping wicket, but later established himself as his country’s man behind the stumps, filling the role in 65 of his Test appearances to date.

His innings of 205 against England at Mount Maunganui in 2019, which earned him the man of the match award in an innings victory, remains the seventh-highest by a wicketkeeper in a Test match, while his 257 dismissals as a Test wicketkeeper (249 catches, eight stumpings) put him out on his own at the top of the list of New Zealand's Test wicketkeepers.

“BJ is a wonderful player and a great bloke,” added New Zealand head coach Gary Stead. “He works really hard on his game to get improvements and always puts the team first. You just have to look at the respect he's held in by his teammates and the opposition to appreciate his standing in the game.

“The records speak for themselves and he's been such a crucial cog in the Test team's rise over the past decade. That double hundred he scored at the Mount in 2019 was one of the best innings I've ever seen and epitomised BJ Watling as a player, really.

“The attitude and fight he brings to every day and every session of a Test is what has made him such a valued member of the Blackcaps. He is without a doubt one of our best ever wicketkeeper-batsmen.”

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