Gary Ballance, a former Yorkshire and England cricketer who has just begun playing for Zimbabwe, has announced that he would retire from all forms of the game with immediate effect.
Gary Ballance, 33, achieved four hundreds for England in 23 Test matches between 2014 and 2017, an achievement that stood out in comparison to many other players who made their debuts during the same time period.
While his usage of the racist slur “P**i” was initially determined to be “banter” in the initial investigation into institutional racism claims at Yorkshire, he was heavily involved in Azeem Rafiq’s explosive evidence during the DCMS parliamentary hearings in Westminster last November.
The scandal cut short his time playing in English cricket, and towards the end of the 2022 season, Yorkshire terminated him from his contract following many months of unpaid absence for mental health concerns.
The Cricket Discipline Commission had prosecuted him at the time, along with six other Yorkshire players, including Michael Vaughan (who was ultimately proved innocent) and Matthew Hoggard.
His choice to return to Zimbabwe, where he had previously played at the Under-19 level before being called up to the England squad, was an attempt to restart, and it had initially been successful.
He played in eight international matches between January and March, including a one-off Test against the West Indies in Bulawayo, when he scored a famous 137 not out. In December, he agreed to a two-year contract with ZC.
Because of his achievement, Kepler Wessels, a former Australia batter and South Africa captain, became only the second Test cricketer to register century for two different countries.
Ballance, on the other hand, has chosen to call it quits after winning the ODI series against the Netherlands last month with an unbeaten 64.
“After much thought, I have decided to retire from all forms of professional cricket with immediate effect,” he announced in a statement.
“I had hoped that my move to Zimbabwe would give me a renewed enthusiasm for the game, and I will be eternally grateful to Zimbabwe Cricket for giving me the opportunity to return to international cricket and for welcoming me into their team.”
“However, I have reached the point where I no longer want to devote myself to the rigors of professional sport, and if I continue, I will be doing Zimbabwe Cricket and the game a disservice.” I wish them the best of luck in the future.”
“I’ve had some incredible memories in cricket, including winning County Championships with Yorkshire and the ultimate honor of representing England and Zimbabwe.” I’d want to thank all of my clubs, coaches, support staff, players, and supporters for their advice and encouragement during my career; it’s been an honor.
“It is now time for me to start the next chapter of my life.” At this point, I shall make no more remarks on my choice.”
He scored 1653 runs at 40.31 in 24 Test matches, and 12031 first-class runs at 47.74, including 42 hundreds and eight more in List A cricket.
