Scotland great Wright retires

Craig Wright made his final Scotland appearance in Saturday's seven-wicket World Twenty20 defeat to New Zealand

Scotland’s most capped cricketer, Craig Wright, today announced his retirement from international cricket following their exit from the ICC World Twenty20.

Wright, 35, retires after having been played 194 times for his country since making his debut in 1997. His final appearance was Saturday’s seven-wicket defeat to New Zealand.

Wright will continue to play a major role in the Scottish game as Cricket Scotland’s performance development manager, a post responsible for the management and development of the regional and national academy structures.

He will also coach Scotland’s under-17 and under-19 squads as they prepare for forthcoming ICC events.

Wright said: “It has been an immense privilege to have represented my country in a sport I love over the past 12 years, and I am extremely proud to have had the honour of captaining the side during that period.

“We have experienced several highs and lows over this time, but I am glad to have been involved during a period where the Scotland team took significant strides forward and became the leading associate nation in the mid-2000’s.

“It is important now that everyone involved in Scottish Cricket is working extremely hard to ensure we get things moving in the right direction again after a difficult period recently.

“Stepping back from international cricket will allow me to focus on my role as Performance Development Manager.

“My ambition is to assist the next generation of Scottish cricketers in maximising their potential to raise the quality and quantity of players available at all levels of Scottish cricket.

"I would like to thank all my team-mates who have shared in the experiences of the past 12 years, and all those who have supported me at various stages in my cricket career.”

Wright led Scotland to the 2007 World Cup before handing over the captaincy

Wright was made captain of the national side in 2003 and led his country on a record 107 occasions.

Under his leadership, the Scotland team won the 2004 Intercontinental Cup and the 2005 ICC Trophy, as well as recording wins against English county sides on numerous occasions.

He also led the side to the 2007 World Cup before stepping back from the captaincy.

Wright is the current record-holder for wickets taken by a Scottish bowler, with 255 from nearly 1,600 overs for his country.

In addition to his wickets, he scored 2,626 runs at an average of 20.52, with a highest score of 88 not out, against both Holland in 2004 and Surrey in 2005.

Wright also took 59 catches for Scotland, putting him third on the all-time list.

Cricket Scotland chief executive Roddy Smith paid tribute to Wright, saying: “Craig has been one of the most important figures in the Scotland team since his debut, and has represented his country with great skill and passion on a record number of occasions.

“He played a vital role in the transformation of the national side and can take immense pride in the contribution he made to winning world competitions and beating English county sides.

“It is a measure of Craig’s commitment to Scottish cricket that he put off his retirement in recent weeks to assist the side during a busy period when there were injury problems to other bowlers.

“I am sure now he will be even more focused on developing the next generation of Scottish cricketers in his professional role with us, building on the excellent work already being doing regionally and nationally throughout Scotland.

“As a role model and coach for aspiring international cricketers, I can think of no better person.”