England Pacer Anya Shrubsole Announces Retirement From International Cricket

England's Anya Shrubsole, a two-time Women's World Cup and inaugural T20 World Cup winner, on Thursday, announced her retirement from international cricket, ending a 14-year career at the highest level.

The 30-year-old finished with 173 international games for England, picking 227 wickets and was also a part of two Ashes-winning and two World Cup-winning campaigns.

Shrubsole bagged nine wickets at 29.66 at the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2022, during England's run to the final. Her best performance in the tournament came in the final against Australia, in which she registered figures of 3/46 in England's 71-run defeat.

The pacer will continue to play domestic cricket in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, Charlotte Edwards Cup and The Hundred.

"I feel immensely privileged to have been able to represent my country for the past 14 years. To have been involved in women's cricket at a time of such growth has been an honour but it has become clear to me that it is moving forward faster than I can keep up with, so it is time for me to step away," Shrubsole said in a statement.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be lucky enough to play for England for so long, I'd have been happy with one game. There have been many ups and downs along the way but it was all worth it to be able to lift the ICC Women's World Cup at Lord's in 2017," she added.

Shrubsole also expressed gratitude to her family, for being supportive throughout her long and fruitful career.

"There have been so many people who have supported me along the way and I want to thank them all for everything they have done, but most of all I couldn't have done it without the unwavering support of my family. They have been with me every step of the way and I simply couldn't have done it without them," she said.

The Somerset-born was first picked for England during their limited-overs home series against South Africa back in 2008 when she bagged a match-winning 3/19 on her T20I debut. A year later, she was picked in England's T20 World Cup squad at home, as England surged to the title.

Over the next decade, Shrubsole established herself as a fast-bowling spearhead of the side, alongside Katherine Brunt. Till date, she's the only England bowler to bag 100 wickets in both Women's ODIs and T20Is. Overall, she has bagged 106 wickets in 86 ODIs, 102 in 79 T20Is and 19 scalps from eight Tests including a career-best, match-winning 7/99 in the 2014 Ashes Test in Perth.

She was the leading wicket-taker during England's run to the Women's T20 World Cup 2014 in Bangladesh, with 13 scalps at 7.53, which fetched her the Player of the Tournament award. Her finest hour in international cricket came during the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2017 final against India at Lord's, in which she produced an epic turnaround to help England clinch their fourth World Cup title.

With India well-placed at 3/191 during their run-chase of 229, Shrubsole triggered a dramatic collapse as India lost seven wickets for 28 within a space of six overs. England sneaked a nine-run win, with Shrubsole's 6/46 going down as record bowling returns in a Women's World Cup final.

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She leads the wicket-taking charts in T20 World Cups, with 41 wickets at 12.48 with an excellent economy of 5.32.