Hyderabad: Veteran Indian pacer Ashish Nehra Thursday decided to call time on his injury-ravaged career after next month’s opening T20 against New Zealand at his home ground, the Feroz Shah Kotla, in New Delhi.
“I have spoken to the team management as well as the chairman of selection committee regarding my decision. The game against New Zealand has been allotted in Delhi. So it can’t get bigger than retiring in front of your home fans where I played my first Ranji Trophy game 20 years ago,” said Nehra.
The 38-year-old Nehra, who underwent as many as 12 surgeries, also confirmed that he won’t be playing in the IPL. “If I won’t be playing for India then its no use playing the IPL,” the left-handed pacer added.
Nehra came into the ongoing T20 series against Australia with the mindset of playing all matches but soon realised that the younger crop was fully ready to shoulder the responsibility.
Nehra said it was not a decision he made overnight and reached the conclusion after seeing the young pacers do well. “Bhuvneshwar is ready (to shoulder the responsibility) with the way he is bowling. Earlier, Bumrah and I were playing but now Bhuvi is doing well. I put my point of view and they all respect my decision,” said Nehra.
Asked to pick his fondest memory in more than 18 years of international cricket, Nehra said: “Every day is a memory for me. People remember moments, like the six wickets against England, or the last over in Karachi but I don’t think I am like that.
He added: “But yes I will always feel good about the fact that the captain always asked me to bowl the last over. We won the World Cup final (2011), lost also (in 2003) but tough to pinpoint my fondest memory.”
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