UK, Sep 02: Jonty Rhodes is on the verge of retiring from cricket after Gloucestershire announced he would not be returning to the club in 2004. The South African star was signed for the 2003 season after giving up international cricket at the start of the World Cup with a hand injury.

He proved an instant hit with the county where he is on the verge of hitting 1,000 Championship runs - and he also helped them to win the C&G Trophy on Saturday.

Rhodes, 34, is expected to concentrate now on family life and make use of his business degree, having received five job offers for non-cricketing work.
He is unlikely to work as a coach or as a media pundit.

Gloucestershire coach John Bracewell, who is also leaving the county to coach his native New Zealand, said: "It`s sad for cricket that Jonty will not be continuing.

"Having said that, we knew that the odds on him coming back for another year were probably against us.
"He has lived up to every expectation we had both on the field as well as in and around the dressing room.

"He has been a marvellous ambassador for cricket."

Rhodes played 245 one-day internationals and 52 Tests. He averaged 35 in both forms of the game and was arguably the best fielder of all time. Bureau Report