Last Updated on 5 years ago by Charbel Coorey
Tributes flow after BJ Watling retires with WTC mace | BJ Watling retires from Test cricket: fans acknowledge great career Watling has had for NZ
BJ Watling, arguably New Zealand’s greatest ever wicket-keeper batsman, retired from Test cricket on the high he deserved. Overseeing his team’s WTC triumph from the dressing room, Watling then took a final walk on the cricket field alongside Kane Williamson – two of the stalwarts of New Zealand cricket over the past decade – to lead the victory lap.
While the Black Caps received deserved praise for their brilliant performance, attention was still strongly focused on New Zealand’s gritty keeper-batsman. If anything highlighted just how big a fighter Watling is, it was his tenacity on the final day to continue to keep with a dislocated finger. And he kept superbly. Such is his stature that it was going to take a lot more than a finger injury to force him off the field on his last day as a Test cricketer.
However, Watling’s tenacity goes way beyond the final day of the WTC Final. His tenacity was evident in the way he batted over the years. His best knocks often came when his team was in trouble. So, despite New Zealand’s terrific depth, replacing such a terrific cricketer promises to be one tough ask. Good luck, Tom Blundell.
In the end, BJ Watling got the finish he deserved. Fans and pundits took to Twitter to pay tribute to Watling after a truly outstanding career that spanned 75 Tests, generated 3,790 tough runs at an average of 37.52 with eight centuries, as well as 265 dismissals.
