Ireland left-arm spinner Regan West has
announced retirement from international cricket after he picked up a
serious shoulder injury.
West’s bowling shoulder was causing him
trouble over the past few months and after a detailed examination of the
injured shoulder the spinner was advised not to bowl anymore for fear
of further damage.
The 31-year-old Taranaki born bowler was
devastated at his forced retirement. He told media reporters that it was
shocking for him to learn about his shoulder.
“I'm pretty gutted with the outcome really. At
the beginning it wasn't a case of if I would bowl again, it was just
how long it would take to recover,” said West while talking to the media
reporters.
“My left shoulder is not in good shape, so the
recommendation that I shouldn't bowl again didn't come as a surprise
but it is still very disappointing,” he added further.
The left-armer was not part of the Ireland squad that visited the Subcontinent to participate in the recently concluded ICC World Cup 2011.
West made his One Day International debut on
25 August, 2008 and went on to play 10 ODIs picking up 9 wickets with
career best figures of 4/26. In first-class cricket, he has played 20
matches claiming 45 wickets with a career best
of 7/88 against Scotland in 2009.
He said that the time he spent with the
Ireland team was the most enjoyable of his cricketing career. The
left-hander, who used to play for Northern Districts and was part of New Zealand
Under-19 side as well before joining Ireland,
said that he feels very privileged to have had the opportunity to
represent the Irish at the international level. He however added that he
was quite disappointed to learn about his shoulder which ruled him out
of the game for good.
Ireland coach Phil Simmons termed West’s
forced retirement as a massive loss to the national side and thanked him
for his contribution to the country.
“Regan is a massive loss to the Irish squad,”
said Simmons. “I personally would like to thank him for his efforts, not
just when he was in the team, but in the last six months in his battle
to be fit enough to be in an environment
he has enjoyed.”
Simmons said that the wholeheartedness and dedication of the left-arm spinner will be missed.
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