New Zealand pacer Neil Wagner announces retirement from Tests; key stats

Wagner hung up his boots after 64 Tests for New Zealand, an adopted country as he moved from South Africa. In his stellar Test career, Wagner took 260 wkts at an average of 27.57 & strike rate of 52.7

New Zealand pacer Neil Wagner announced his retirement from Test cricket on Tuesday after he was informed that he won't be selected for the Australia Test series, which starts on February 29 in Wellington. However, Wagner would continue to play First Class Cricket. 

The 37-year-old left-arm pacer revealed his decision to hang up his boots at a press conference alongside New Zealand head coach Gary Stead at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.

The team invited Wagner to be part of the squad before the Wellington Test.

Wagner said while talking to media persons: "I knew the time was coming near. They sometimes say when you think about retirement, you're screwed in a way. I knew the time was going to come, and it was going to come close. In the last week, reflecting and looking into the future, looking at the Test matches that are to come, I thought it was the right time to step down and let the other guys come in and do what we've been doing as a group for some years and grow that attack."

"It's never easy. It's an emotional road. It's a big roller coaster. But it's something that I feel like the time to come in to pass that baton on and leave that Black Cap in a good place for the rest to take it and hopefully grow their legacy forward."

Wagner Test cricket stats

Wagner hung up his boots after 64 Tests for New Zealand, an adopted country as he moved from South Africa. In his stellar Test career, Wagner took 260 wickets at an average of 27.57 and a strike rate of 52.7, which is second best to Sir Richard Hadlee among Kiwi bowlers.

Wagner made his Test debut on July 25 in 2012 against West Indies. He took only wicket in that match. 

The Hamilton Test against South Africa on February 16, 2024 was Wagner's last Test.

Bowling
FORMAT	Mat	Inns	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4w	5w	10w
Tests	64	122	13725	7169	260	7/39	9/73	27.57	3.13	52.7	13	9	0
FC	205	376	41896	22299	821	7/39	11/111	27.16	3.19	51	47	36	2
List A	116	112	5641	5038	176	5/31	5/31	28.62	5.35	32	11	3	0
T20s	86	82	1727	2483	95	4/33	4/33	26.13	8.62	18.1	1	0	0
Batting & Fielding
FORMAT	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100s	50s	4s	6s	Ct
Tests	64	84	24	875	66*	14.58	1687	51.86	0	1	96	36	19
FC	205	271	59	3588	72	16.92	6587	54.47	0	10	-	102	67
List A	116	63	11	634	45*	12.19	776	81.7	0	0	48	15	21
T20s	86	43	18	242	36	9.68	195	124.1	0	0	18	10	11

*source:espncricinfo