London, March 28 (H.S.): Moses Henriques, the captain of New South Wales, has announced his retirement from first-class cricket. He had distanced himself from this format in the middle of the 2024-25 season.

The 38-year-old Henriques, who has played four Test matches for Australia, will still be available for the One Day Cup for New South Wales. In addition, he will play one more season under his current contract with the Sydney Sixers, where he is also the captain.

Henriques has not played any matches for New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield since the beginning of November. During his absence, Jack Edwards took over the team's captaincy, and New South Wales made every effort to reach the finals, but ultimately finished in fourth place.

I had already decided to retire from Sheffield Shield cricket

Announcing his retirement, Henriques said, I decided before Christmas this year that I should not play Sheffield Shield cricket anymore. It was an honor for me to lead this state and play for it, but playing for New South Wales is not just about words and preparation, but about performance.

He further stated, My fitness was still fine, but at this age, if I cannot win matches for my state, then how can I lead? We have fantastic young players who will take this team forward, and I will fully support them.

A splendid first-class career

In his first-class career, Henriques scored 6,830 runs with an average of 34.84 and hit 13 centuries. In bowling, he took 127 wickets at an average of 30.75.

In the early stages of his career, he was considered the future of Australia. During his Test debut against India in Chennai in 2013, he scored 68 and an unbeaten 81 runs. However, he could not cross double digits in the subsequent three Test matches.

Henriques, while handing over the captaincy of the New South Wales team to Jack Edwards, said, Jack Edwards has taken on the team's captaincy and has shown excellent leadership qualities at such a young age.

He also expressed gratitude to Cricket New South Wales, saying, I have been a part of this organization since I was 17 years old, and it has supported me at every step. Even after 21 years, I will try to give my best in the shorter formats and have a desire to give something back to this game.

Coach Greg Shepherd praised Henriques' contributions

New South Wales coach Greg Shepherd praised Henriques' contributions. He said, Everyone knows what Moises has done on the field for New South Wales, but his contributions off the field have also been incredible. He is a fantastic professional and leader, and New South Wales cricket has benefited greatly from his contributions.

Shepherd further added, In the One Day Cup and Big Bash League, we saw that he still has a lot to give, and I am excited to continue working with him.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar