England star Katherine Brunt retires from Test cricket

England women's pacer Katherine Brunt on Saturday (June 18) has announced her retirement from Test cricket to prioritize white-ball cricket.

The Barnsley-born bowler is England Women's third-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket with 51 dismissals in 14 Tests at a supreme average of 21.52 and with career-best figures of 6/69 against Australia.

The tearaway quick seamer said the thoughts of retirement had surfaced quite a few times in the last couple of years; hence she has decided to call time on her red-ball career which allows her to focus on limited-overs cricket.

"I feel like as an athlete there is never an obvious time to step away from doing the thing that you love. But over the past two years thoughts of retirement have surfaced more and more, so I've decided to make a smart decision rather than an emotional one. 

Test cricket is my absolute passion, and to retire from this format was truly a heartbreaking choice to make, but it allows me to prioritize white-ball cricket," Brunt said.

England's only Test of the summer comes against South Africa at Taunton on June 27-30 and this will be England's first assignment without the services of Brunt, and the veteran cricketer will be looking forward to watching her teammates play from the stands.

"I know that I leave it in a great place, the bowlers coming through are ready and they're just itching to be let loose. And with the South Africa game around the corner, I'm very much looking forward to watching them from the best seat in the house," she said.

Brunt's decision to stand down from representing England in the longest version of the game comes just a couple of months after her bowling partner and ex-England seamer Anya Shrubsole announced her international retirement.

Brunt started her Test career in 2004 against New Zealand. Within a year, she was adjudged player of the match in her third Test after picking nine wickets and backing it up with a rollicking fifty as England emerged victorious to claim the Ashes urn after a lengthy drought of four decades.

She picked up eight wickets in her last Test game for England against Australia in Canberra, claiming 5-60 in the first innings and 3-24 in the second innings, however, the game ended up as a draw.

In white-ball cricket for England, Brunt has bagged 167 wickets in 140 ODIs as well as 98 wickets in 96 T20Is and she'll be looking to add more to her tally in white-ball cricket.

"Katherine's passion and commitment was never more evident than when she played Test cricket for England and you only need to watch the last Ashes Test to see her desire, her heart, and her undoubted ability with the red ball in hand," said Jonathan Finch, Director of England Women's cricket.

"She has given everything for England Women in Test cricket and we are fully supportive of her decision to focus on white-ball cricket on the international stage. Katherine can leave the red ball behind knowing she is a true legend in that form of the game and that she has set standards that future generations can only aspire to," Finch added.