New Zealand woman wicketkeeper Rachel Priest announces retirement from international cricket

Image Credits: Twitter/@ThunderWBBL

New Zealand woman wicketkeeper-batsman Rachel Priest has announced that she is bidding adieu to the international cricket after a gap of 13-long years. 

The 35-year-old's decision to retire from the game came after she was left out of New Zealand's central contracts list earlier this month, despite being part of the Women's T20 World Cup 2020 squad.

Priest, however, confirmed that she would continue to play in domestic cricket and has recently signed a deal with Tasmania for Australia's Women's National Cricket League (WNCL).

Reflecting on her decision to retire, Priest said that she has made the move with much consideration and is now looking forward to the next chapter of her cricketing journey with Tasmania. 

"Having been involved in the White Ferns environment for 13 years, most of it enjoyable, it is with much consideration that I have decided to retire from international cricket," Priest said. "I am really looking forward to the next chapter of my cricketing journey with Cricket Tasmania and the Tigers program and feel very fortunate to be given the opportunity," ESPNcricinfo quoted the White Ferns wicketkeeper as saying.

Priest, who made her debut for New Zealand against Australia in 2007, has appeared in a total of 87 ODIs and notched up 1,694 runs. She has also featured in 75 matches for the White Ferns in the shortest format of the game and scored 873 runs.

Priest made a comeback to New Zealand set-up late in 2019 after a gap of more than two years.

Priest has now joined Western Australia's Heather Graham and New South Wales' Naomi Stalenberg in moving to Tasmania ahead of the 2020-21 season.