William Porterfield announces retirement from international cricket
William Porterfield's 16-year international career came to an end after he led Ireland in over 250 matches. The 37-year-old was a key figure in Ireland's attainment of ICC Full Member membership.
William Porterfield, the 37-year-old former Ireland captain, announced his retirement from international and representative cricket on Thursday, June 16, bringing an end to a distinguished career in which he played 148 One-Day Internationals, 61 Twenty-One-Day Internationals, and three Twenty-One-Day Internationals. Porterfield ends his career as Ireland's third-most-capped cricketer and second-highest run-getter with over 5000 runs across all three forms.
William Porterfield last played for Ireland in January, and it was a fitting send-off for one of the game's superstars as Ireland overcame West Indies 2-1 in a three-match One-Day International series. Porterfield, incidentally, was dismissed for 0 in his final appearance for Ireland.
Porterfield has captained Ireland in more than 250 international matches, including their first-ever Test match against Pakistan in 2018 and the Lord's Test against England.
Porterfield captained Ireland in two 50-over World Cups and five T20 World Cups. Porterfield was a member of the Ireland teams that defeated Pakistan and England in the 2007 and 2011 World Cups, respectively. Porterfield had also scored a century against Pakistan in the 2015 World Cup match.
Highlights
In nearly 250 matches, William Porterfield has led Ireland. He was Ireland's first Test captain in men's cricket. Porterfield is presently looking for coaching opportunities in county cricket.
What He Said:
Porterfield admitted that hanging up his boots was a strange sensation, but that he thinks he was able to contribute to Ireland's improvement over the years.
"It's been an honour to serve my nation for 16 years," Porterfield said. "It's something I've always wanted to do since I was a youngster."
"Having made the choice to walk away and retire, it's a bit odd at the moment, but I've been privileged to play since 2006, and it's been a fantastic trip."
"We've progressed from an amateur squad to a Test country during the course of my career. We have ideally constructed an infrastructure that will allow the game in Ireland to continue to thrive, thanks to those who came before me and along my journey. All I've ever wanted to do was leave the shirt in a better position and the team in a better place, and hopefully I've succeeded ", he went on to say.
Overview
Porterfield was named captain in 2008 and led his squad over 250 times during a successful spell for the team. He led Ireland in their first Test match and the Lord's Test against England before turning over the reins to Andrew Balbirnie. Porterfield captained Ireland in two Cricket World Cup campaigns and five T20 World Cups, most notably in the 2011 50-over event in Bangalore, where they shocked England.
Porterfield has had his fair share of highs in T20I cricket, but his ODI heroics have been critical to Ireland's success over the previous decade. In 148 One-Day Internationals, he scored 11 hundreds and 20 fifties, totaling 4343 runs in the 50-over format. Porterfield has now turned his attention to coaching, having previously worked in county cricket with Gloucestershire and Warwickshire.
