In a significant development, David Willey has declared his retirement from international cricket at the age of 33. This announcement comes after England’s final match in the World Cup held in India, following the ECB’s decision not to extend him a central contract for the 2023-24 cycle.
Willey, who has been one of the standout players for England in India, will no longer represent the national team, despite his impressive performances during the tournament, where he claimed five wickets and scored 42 runs in three appearances.
Willey expressed his dissatisfaction, as he was the sole member of the World Cup squad not included in the list of 26 central contracts announced in Bangalore recently. Even with the T20 World Cup looming next June, Willey has made the firm decision to bid farewell to international cricket.
He has affirmed his commitment to giving his best in England’s remaining three group matches against Australia, Netherlands, and Pakistan. “I believe I have more to offer both on and off the field while I am at the peak of my cricketing abilities, and my choice has no bearing on our performance in the World Cup,” David Willey stated.
The cricketer will continue to participate in short-format cricket, both domestically and internationally. Willey took charge of Northamptonshire in the T20 Blast last year and represented Welsh Fire in The Hundred. Furthermore, he is scheduled to compete for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the ILT20 in January and could also be retained by Royal Challengers Bangalore for the next year’s IPL.
David Willey’s journey in international cricket began in May 2015, shortly after England’s early exit from the World Cup. He became a regular member of England’s white-ball squads during the leadership of Eoin Morgan, Trevor Bayliss, and Andrew Strauss.
Willey played a pivotal role in the side that finished as the runners-up in the 2016 World T20, contributing with both bat and ball. He was initially named in the provisional squad for the 2019 World Cup but was controversially left out at the last moment to accommodate Jofra Archer’s selection.
Despite this setback, Willey made a comeback, featuring in an ODI series against Ireland in 2020 and becoming the second-highest wicket-taker in the format between World Cups.
He was also part of the squad during the T20 World Cup last year, although he did not make a playing appearance.