Former Ireland and England pace bowler Boyd Rankin has recently announced his retirement from the game and called time on his 18 years of cricketing career. Derry-born Boyd Rankin has played 153 games for Ireland in his two stints between 2003 and 2020 as well, either side of three years along with England which also included one Ashes Test too.

He has played for Ireland in 2007, 2011 World Cups in his cricketing career which also affected by injuries and inconsistency. However, he had played a single Test for England during the 2013-14 Ashes and also played seven ODIs and two T20Is as well. Along with this, he has hung up his boots from his inter-provincial career too, which has seen him play for Warriors since 2018. He claimed 8 wickets in 3 Tests, 106 wickets in 75 ODIs, and 55 wickets in 50 T20Is for both Ireland and England as well.

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“I feel now is the right time to step away. I have put my heart and soul into playing cricket professionally since 2003 and have loved every minute of it. I never dreamt I would play for Ireland as much as I did and to travel the world playing in numerous World Cups and to pull on the Irish jersey is something I will never forget. To have also a long career in county cricket especially during my 11-year stint with Warwickshire where we won the County Championship, 50-over competition twice and the T20 Blast in 2014 was very special and something I am very grateful for,” Boyd Rankin was quoted by bbc.com.

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The pace bowler has also played in Ireland’s first men’s Test match against Pakistan at Malahide in 2018 where he also picked up his country’s first wicket as well, which he referred to as a “special moment”. “My best memories and achievements that stick out for me would be the World Cup wins – in 2007 beating Pakistan and Bangladesh to put Irish cricket on the world map, and the 2011 win against England,” Boyd Rankin said.