Zimbabwe cricketer Jarvis announces retirement

Zim bowler Jarvis retires from all cricket

JOHANNESBURG, June 18 (ANA) – Zimbabwe bowler Kyle Jarvis on Thursday announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.

The 32-year-old’s decision was prompted by illness and injury over the last year.

“I hurt my back against Sri Lanka in a Test match beginning of 2020,” Jarvis was quoted as saying on espncricinfo.com.

Since then, Jarvis picked up Covid-19, malaria and tick bite fever in a year of health struggles.

“I managed to come back and become fit again and just as I was starting to come back into it I got that illness which set me back further. After the uncertainty of that, I needed to realise I had to start looking for something for life after cricket. It wasn’t that I didn’t think I could come back again, but I had my mind set to start something on the side.”

Having made his debut for Zimbabwe in 2009 at the age of 20, he would go on to play 84 matches for his country across all formats.

In his 13 Tests, the fast bowler picked up 46 wickets at an average of 29.43. He claimed three five-wicket hauls with a best innings bowling performance of 5/54, against the West Indies, in Bridgetown, in March 2013.

In One-Day Internationals, Jarvis claimed 58 wickets at an average of 36. His best figures of 4/17 came against the United Arab Emirates, in Harare, in April 2019.

He also proved effective in T20 Internationals with 28 wickets at an average of 23.75. His best innings figures of 3/15 came in his second match in the format for Zimbabwe, against Pakistan, in Harare, in September 2011. – African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Michael Sherman