London: Ireland all-rounder Kevin O’Brien has announced his retirement from ODIs on Friday. The 37-year-old will be available for Tests and T20I cricket only. “After 15 years playing for Ireland, I feel now is the right time to step away from ODI cricket,” O’Brien said.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to represent my country 153 times and the memories I take from them will last a lifetime,” O’Brien said in a statement issued by Cricket Ireland.
The 37-year-old hit the limelight with a spectacular 113 runs in the 2011 World Cup against England. His century came in just 50 balls, which remains the fastest-ever century in a World Cup that helped Ireland chase down a target of 328.
O'Brien: “I just fell out of love with the ODI format.”
Read about what KOB’s longer term aspirations are (via @RTEsport) https://t.co/4FODTXOR4Y
— Cricket Ireland (@cricketireland) June 19, 2021
“The hunger and love for the ODI format is no longer the same as it was and it wouldn’t be fair to continue to play while no longer feeling at 100 percent. I will now shift my focus and remain fully committed to T20 cricket with two World Cups in the next 18 months and hoping to add to my three caps in Test cricket,” the statement added.
Kevin made his ODI debut in June 2006 against England at Belfast. In a career spanning over a decade, he scored 3,619 runs and scalping 114 wickets. He has been a match-winner for Ireland in the format.
He finishes as Ireland’s third-highest run-scorer in ODI cricket with 3618 runs in 153 games, averaging 29.41 and a strike rate of 88.72. Kevin is the only Irish player to have completed the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in ODIs.
