Grant Elliott is set to retire from competitive cricket following his Birmingham Bears side’s failure to progress to the quarter-finals of the T20 Blast. Elliott, who retired from international cricket on March 2017, led Birmingham to Finals Day the same year, but struggled this time around, particularly with the bat.
The 39-year-old scored just 80 runs in 10 innings, although he did impress with the ball, picking 19 wickets in 14 outings at 19.57.
Birmingham, however, ended their campaign with a 15-run loss to Worcestershire, and finished on sixth on the north group table, six points off first-placed Worcestershire.
“I’ll be open to games in Switzerland, ice cricket and those sorts of things,” Elliott told BBC WM’s Bears Podblast. “But, in terms of competitive cricket and playing for teams around the world, I’m keen on trying to create something outside of the game.”
Elliot will be remembered for his match-winning 84* for New Zealand in the semi-final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 against South Africa.
He played over 100 matches – including five Tests – across formats for New Zealand, but had to retire from international cricket to join Birmingham in 2017 as a non-overseas player on a kolpak deal.
I love hanging around with the lads in the changing room, sharing a win. That’s what excites me
More than the actual matches, Elliott said he missed the dressing room environment. “I realised why I played the game four years ago,” he said. “It’s a hard game. There’s a lot of pain. But it’s because of the camaraderie and the team elements. I love hanging around with the lads in the changing room, sharing a win. That’s what excites me.
“The actual games, I don’t really remember what happens out there. You want to do your best but the people that you meet in the game is just awesome. A really neat group of elite sportspeople, who can be your mates for life.”
