WBBL 2019/2020 | Alex Blackwell bids adieu to 18-year playing career
Australia women’s most-capped cricketer and a Word T20 winning captain in 2010, Alex Blackwell will call it quits on her career at the end of the ongoing Women's Big Bash League. Blackwell retired from International cricket in 2017 and will end her career after playing 19 domestic seasons.
After scoring a brilliant match-winning knock of 65 runs in 47 balls for Sydney Thunders on November 27, Blackwell announced her future plans to the media. She said:
"I'd decided before the match that I was going to retire… It's got to come to an end at some point. There have been many highlights, but what's been really cool is watching the next generation of Thunder players grabbing their opportunities. It's been very special to be a part of that - I'm really satisfied.”
After playing for 19 seasons in the domestic circuit, Blackwell revealed it was time that her place went to young stars itching to make their feet at the highest level. She sounded hugely hopeful of 16-year olds Phoebe Litchfield and Saskia Horley. She stated:
"I've been really happy with mentoring out in the middle. I had an opportunity against the Stars to bat with [16-year-old] Phoebe Litchfield and Saskia Horley. It was good to talk to them about what the good options were to go to - and to help clarify in their minds what was on, and where to back themselves."
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The highest scorer for Sydney Thunders in both, the men’s and the women’s game, Blackwell expressed her fascination towards the Women’s Big Bash League and it’s ever-increasing popularity throughout the world. She said:
"I thought the WBBL was an amazing competition to be a part of and decided I could go again - and I'm pleased I did. It's been good fun, and I've enjoyed supporting Rachael Haynes because I think she's led the team very well."
In her playing career, she represented the Aussies in 144 ODIs, scoring 3492 runs and 12 Tests where she scored 444 runs. In her 71 matches for Sydney Thunder, Alex has 1751 runs in her kitty at a healthy strike-rate of 106.25.