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David Willey, the English fast bowler, announced his retirement from international cricket at 33 and opened up about his decision in an interview. He spoke about how the decision of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to not award him a central contract was the “final nail in the coffin”.
During the ODI World Cup 2023 in India, David Willey has been one of the shining lights for England, in an otherwise tournament of doom and gloom. He has picked up five wickets in three matches at an average of 27.20 and an economy of 5.66 while scoring 42 runs at the lower order.
In his exclusive sit-down chat with Sky Sports, David Willey talked about the central contract snub from the ECB, which ultimately led to his call to retire from international cricket. He was quoted as saying, “That, for me, was, probably, the final nail in the coffin really, and it made my decision a lot easier.
“But these conversations around contracts all happened before we came out, so when we joined up at Lord's I knew I was the only one that didn't have one. It was difficult. "I was upset, angry and disappointed. But I respect their vision, and don't have to agree with them,” the English fast bowler added.
Watch David Willey's interview with Sky Sports here:
David Willey delved deeper into his thought process concerning his announcement and said, “I feel with two World Cups in 12 months, knowing my position in the squad, should there be injuries or whatever, I'm a chance and feel like I'm always a chance. I'm not involved in how these (things) are put together, who selects them. I don't necessarily have to agree with them. But you know, there are decisions that are made and I have to respect them, and I make decisions based on how I feel around them.”
