When England bowler Chris Woakes chose to end his international career on September 29, Rishabh Pant wrote him a humorous retirement message.
After 15 years with England and after being left out of the Ashes squad, Woakes decided to end his career. In the final Test of the series against India, Woakes played his final game for England, helping his team win despite having a dislocated shoulder.
Pant told the pacer in a sweet note that he was a fantastic athlete on the field. The Indian wicketkeeper claimed that the pacer had left a mark on him before to retirement and joked that Woakes could now relax his arm and quit aiming for his foot.
Pant was talking about the day he injured his foot during the Manchester Test after being struck by a Woakes delivery. The rest of the series had to be missed by the Indian wicketkeeper.
“Happy Retirement Woakesy. You have been amazing on the field. Lots of discipline, a big smile and always good vibes. Now you can finally give that bowling arm a rest and my foot too. You definitely left a mark on me before retirement. Wishing you a fantastic journey ahead,” said Pant.
When Pant and Woakes played for the Delhi Capitals in the IPL, they were teammates. Woakes claimed that being a part of two world cup victories was an honor and that playing for England was a dream come true for him. According to the bowler, he plans to keep playing county cricket while pursuing a career in franchise cricket.
“The moment has come, and I’ve decided that the time is right for me to retire from international cricket,” he said.
“Playing for England was something I aspired to do since I was a kid dreaming in the back garden, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have lived out those dreams. Representing England, wearing the Three Lions and sharing the field with team-mates over the last 15 years, many of whom have become lifelong friends, are things I’ll look back on with the greatest pride.
“Making my debut in 2011 in Australia seems like yesterday, but time flies when you’re having fun. Lifting two World Cups and being part of some amazing Ashes series is something I never thought was possible, and those memories and celebrations with my team-mates will stay with me forever.
“To my Mum and Dad, my wife Amie and our girls Laila and Evie, thank you for your unwavering love, support and sacrifices over the years. None of this would have been possible without you.
“To the fans, especially the Barmy Army, thank you for the passion, the cheers and the belief. To my coaches, team-mates and everyone behind the scenes both with England and Warwickshire, who helped me play for my country – your guidance and friendship has meant the world.
“I look forward to continuing to play county cricket and exploring more franchise opportunities in the near future,” said Woakes.
Woakes represented England in 62 Test matches, 122 One-Day Internationals, and 33 T20 Internationals, taking 192, 173, and 31 wickets in those matches, respectively.