World Cup hero Anya Shrubsole announces retirement from international cricket

England bowler Anya Shrubsole, who has played at the top level of women’s international cricket for 14 years, has announced her retirement from international cricket.

The 30-year old played 173 games for her country across all formats of the game and took 227 wickets.

Shrubsole, will always be remembered as the hero of England’s 2017 World Cup triumph after bowling her side to a famous and dramatic victory with a record 6 for 46 in the final against India at Lords.

The Somerset born right armer started her career at her home county in 2004, where she played for fourteen years. She then joined Western Storm in 2016 and has continued with a successful career playing for Storm.

In 2021, she was drafted by Southern Brave for the inaugural season of the Hundred, and in April this year she was bought by Brave for the forthcoming Hundred competition.

After a 2021 home international season curtailed by injury, Shrubsole was a key member of England’s Ashes campaign in Australia at the start of the year, with her last appearance in an England shirt in the Women’s World Cup final in New Zealand, when she took 3 for 46 in a 71-run defeat at the hands of Australia.

Shrubsole, made her International ODI debut against South Africa back in 2008. Opening the bowling, she took the wicket of Marcia Letsoalo as England recorded a comfortable victory. Nine days later she took three wickets on her T20 International debut against South Africa and was duly named the player of the match.

Shrubsole, had the honour of captaining her country just once and in 2018 became the first women ever to appear on the front of the Wisden Cricketers Almanack.

The Bath born player is fourth on the list of England’s ODI wicket takers and is England’s current top T20I wicket taker.

Despite announcing her decision to retire from the international game, she will continue to play domestic cricket in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, Charlotte Edwards Cup and the Hundred.

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