New Zealand v South Africa, March 24, 2015: Grant Elliott played the central role in one of ODI cricket’s classics © AFP
New Zealand allrounder Grant Elliott, 37, has retired from ODIs, two days after his side was knocked out of the World T20 at the semi-final stage by England. Elliott is yet to take a call on his T20 career.
“I’m going to reassess, let the dust settle,” Elliott told Newshub. “As long as I’m still enjoying my cricket, I haven’t really made a call on anything yet. I’ve played my last one-day game, but there are three formats.”
The highlight of Elliott’s international career came in his final year of ODI cricket, after he received a surprise recall for the 2015 World Cup; Elliott had not played an ODI since November 2013. In the innings of his life – an unbeaten 84 off 73 balls – against his country of birth, South Africa, at Eden Park, Elliott propelled New Zealand into their first World Cup final. With five runs needed of two balls, Elliott put Dale Steyn over long-on even as cricket’s popularity hit unprecedented highs in New Zealand. “I’ve said it time and time again, this is the greatest time of our lives as players,” McCullum said after that dramatic win.
Eliott had also played a heroic role in New Zealand’s run to the final in the Champions Trophy in 2009, a year after his international debut. Nursing a broken thumb, Elliott made a match-winning 75 not out on a cracked Wanderers surface against Pakistan.
He finishes his ODI career with 1976 runs in 83 matches, including two centuries and 11 half-centuries, at an average of 34.06. He had said in September 2015 that he would reassess his international career following the 2016 World T20.
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo