[Watch] Neil Wagner gets emotional, sheds tears while announcing retirement

Neil Wagner retired after playing 64 tests for New Zealand.

New Zealand pacer Neil Wagner couldn’t hold break his tears as he announced his retirement from international cricket. He made the announcement in a press conference on February 27, 2024.

Neil Wagner took the decision after New Zealand selectors told him he would not be picked for the upcoming two-match test series against Australia starting on Thursday.

Neil Wagner, 37, took the emotional choice after a difficult chat with coach Gary Stead last week, during which it was clear he was not in New Zealand’s top XI for the forthcoming series against Australia. He announced his retirement at a press conference with Stead on Tuesday at Basin Reserve in Wellington, after being invited to the inaugural test squad.

The South Africa-born pacer called time on the career after 64 tests, in which he took 260 wickets at 27.57 with a strike rate of just 52.7, second only to Sir Richard Hadlee.

“I knew the time was coming near”- Neil Wagner

Neil Wagner, who announced his retirement from test cricket, plans to continue playing First Class (FC) cricket.

“I knew the time was coming near. They sometimes say when you think about retirement, you’re screwed in a way. I knew the time was going to come and it was going to come close. In the last week, reflecting and looking into the future, looking at the Test matches that are to come, I thought it was the right time to step down and let the other guys come in and do what we’ve been doing as a group for a number of years and obviously grow that attack,” Wagner was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.

“It’s never easy. It’s an emotional road. It’s a big rollercoaster. But it’s something that I feel like the time [has] come to pass that baton on and leave that Black Cap in a good place for the rest to take it and hopefully grow their legacy forward,” he added.

Wagner burst into tears as he expressed gratitude to his family, friends, coaches, and mentors for their support throughout his journey. He expressed his hope that the New Zealand public would remember him as someone who gave his all for the cap.

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“I’ve said this in the past, I never saw myself as the most talented or most gifted bloke going around in cricket. I just saw myself as someone who loved this game and loved playing for this team, loved playing for my mates and for that Black Cap and I wear my heart on my sleeve. I know that I had to work extremely hard and find different ways and different methods,” he signed off.

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