After leading the Birmingham Bears through the Vitality Blast in England, the all-rounder—who played a key part in New Zealand's famous 2015 World Cup semi-final win—has retired from all professional cricket. The announcement came via Instagram on Tuesday, following the Bears' 6th-place finish in the North Group, which left them unable to secure a spot in the quarter-finals.
Looking back, I remember dreaming of this at age 12, writing down my goals to play international cricket, compete in a World Cup, and make it to the county level. Nearly three decades later, I can say I've cherished every second of it. I'm so grateful to the amazing people I've encountered along the way and to my family and friends, who stood by me unconditionally even when my career required sacrifices from them.
“Cricket is a wonderful game, but it isn't everything we are. I'm excited to see what the future holds and look forward to catching up and sharing a drink with the selfless teammates I've been lucky enough to play alongside.”
At 39, Elliott had joined the Bears last year under a Kolpak deal following his international retirement. His departure from the global stage began earlier in 2016, when he retired from ODIs just two days after England eliminated New Zealand in the World T20 semi-finals.
Originally born in Johannesburg, his professional journey started over two decades ago during the 1996-97 season in South Africa, before he eventually relocated to New Zealand in 2001.