It’s official: Opening hitter Lizelle Lee of South Africa has declared her immediate retirement from international cricket.
Lizelle Lee, South Africa’s opening batsman, has announced her immediate retirement from international cricket. The announcement comes only days before the start of a three-match One-Day International series against England, which begins on July 11 in Northampton. During South Africa’s 2013 tour of Bangladesh, the 30-year-old first made her international debut in T20I cricket at her home stadium in Potchefstroom, before making her ODI debut the following week.
A total of 3 315 runs, including 23 half-centuries and three centuries, were scored by the opening batsman in 100 50-over matches, including a career-high of 132 not out against India in Lucknow last year. Lee has played 82 Twenty20 Internationals for South Africa, scoring 1,896 runs and 13 half-centuries, making her only the second South African woman to score a hundred in T20Is.
The Senwes Dragons player retires from international cricket as South Africa’s leading T20I runs scorer, but she trails only the recently retired Mignon du Preez in the One-Day format in terms of career totals.
“The news of my retirement from international cricket comes with a lot of mixed feelings for me. As a child, I was enthralled by cricket and dreamed of representing my nation at the greatest level. That desire has come true for the past eight years, and I feel like I’ve done my best for the Proteas “Cricket South Africa made a statement on Lee’s behalf.
“To advance in my career, I’m looking forward to playing more domestic T20 cricket in different parts of the world. My international career would not have been feasible without the help and encouragement of everyone I’ve encountered. I’d like to express my gratitude to my family, in particular my wife Tanja, for everything they’ve done to make it possible for me to fulfill my lifelong ambition of representing my country “she went on to say.
She went on to discuss her retirement, saying: “I’d like to express my gratitude to my fellow Proteas players for the fantastic experiences we’ve shared. It would not have been possible for me to complete this journey without you. I’ll always be here for you, and we’ll always rise as one.”
“Finally, I would want to thank all of my supporters for making my worldwide career possible through their unwavering belief in me and their continued love and support. I can’t wait to see where this voyage takes us in the various leagues around the world “Finally, she said.
