Former West Indies top-order batsman Lendl Simmons has retired from international cricket.
Simmons announced his retirement, on Monday, having played 144 matches and scoring 3,763 runs from all formats. He made his WI debut in December 2006 in an away One-Day International (ODI) series against Pakistan.
The big-hitter went on to make his T20 international and Test match debuts in 2007 and 2009 respectively.
He last represented the maroon against South Africa in a group stage match at last year's T20 World Cup.
Altogether, Simmons played eight Tests for the Windies, along with 68 ODIs and T20Is respectively. Simmons scored 278 runs in his brief Test career, while he made 1,958 ODI and 1,527 T20I runs respectively.
He also achieved two ODI centuries and 25 half-centuries across the ODI and T20I formats.
Simmons issued a statement saying, 'Little did I know that my international career would have lasted 16 years but my passion and love for the sport fuelled me every day.
'I want to thank the West Indies cricket team for the opportunities, and I wish the new crop of WI players all the best and to keep on believing in yourselves and your abilities.'
He played in five T20 World Cups, winning twice in 2012 and 2016, and also featured in two ODI World Cups.
Simmons is the Caribbean Premier League's leading run scorer (2,629 runs). He also competed at two Indian Premier Leagues, Pakistan Super League, Bangladesh Premier League and Abu Dhabi T10.
He said his family and friends served as 'true motivators.' Simmons thanked his fans who stuck with him through thick and thin.
'There were times when the odds were against me, but you stood tall alongside me. Despite the ups and downs, you all gave me the energy that was needed to bat on for so long.
'To the youngsters, don't be ashamed to dream big but it takes a lot of determination, focus and a strong mind to get over the numerous hurdles but it is all worth it in the end,' he added.
Simons continued, 'I never cheated the game; I gave it 100 per cent of hard work and that is why I was able to play internationally for almost 16 years.
'I still do extensive training and keep myself relatively fit, so my focus is to continue playing franchise cricket for as long as my body permits.
'Hopefully, I can continue to entertain the people of my region and all over the world for a few more years as I'm still timing the ball beautifully and beating bowling.'
Last week, Simmons' former Windies teammate Denesh Ramdin also announced his retirement from international cricket, after playing 284 matches across all formats for WI from 2005 to 2019.
The post West Indies' Lendl Simmons retires from international cricket appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.
