Colin Munro has announced his retirement from international cricket

Colin Munro Retires from International Cricket

Colin Munro  © NZC 

Colin Munro, the explosive left-hander from New Zealand, has officially announced his retirement from international cricket, marking the end of a prolific career that spanned 123 matches across formats for the BLACKCAPS. Munro's retirement comes after his last appearance for New Zealand in the fifth T20I against India at Bay Oval in 2020.

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During his international career, Munro represented New Zealand in 65 T20Is, 57 ODIs, and a single Test, amassing over 3,000 international runs and claiming seven wickets along the way. He leaves behind a legacy as the BLACKCAPS' sixth all-time leading T20 international run-scorer, having scored 1,724 runs at an impressive average of 31 and a remarkable strike-rate of 156.4. Notably, Munro also holds the record for the most T20 international centuries by a New Zealander, with three to his name.

Munro's journey in international cricket began after representing New Zealand at the 2006 ICC Under 19 World Cup in Sri Lanka. He made his debut in all three formats during the 2012-13 tour of South Africa and quickly established himself as a key player, particularly excelling in white-ball cricket. His big-hitting prowess and innovative batting style made him a valuable asset for the BLACKCAPS, especially in T20 and ODI formats between 2016 and 2019.

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Throughout his career, Munro achieved several milestones and set records that highlighted his impact on the game. His 47-ball century against West Indies at Bay Oval in 2018 was not only the fastest T20 century for New Zealand at the time but also made him the first player from his country to score three T20 international centuries. Additionally, his blistering 14-ball half-century against Sri Lanka at Eden Park in 2016 remains the fastest T20 half-century by a New Zealander and the fourth fastest of all-time.

Reflecting on his retirement, Munro expressed immense pride in representing New Zealand on the global stage. He highlighted his 123 appearances for the BLACKCAPS across all formats as a major achievement in his career, emphasizing the honor of wearing the national jersey. Munro also mentioned his hope of returning to international cricket based on his franchise T20 form but acknowledged that now was the right time to close this chapter officially, especially with the announcement of the BLACKCAPS squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Scott Weenink, the chief executive of New Zealand Cricket (NZC), praised Munro as one of the country's best multi-format batsmen. Weenink acknowledged Munro's role in pioneering an aggressive and innovative batting style that has become widely accepted in modern cricket. He thanked Munro for his outstanding contribution across more than a hundred international games and wished him well in his future endeavors.

“Colin was one of our first players to embrace the aggressive, 360-degree style batting that is now accepted all around the world as best practice, He was one of the pioneers of the new game, an innovative batsman who took calculated risk-taking to a new level, and led what was to become a revolution in the way short-form cricket was played.  We thank him for his amazing contribution in more than hundred international games, and wish him well in his future pursuits.”