Scotland's McCallum to retire

Neil McCallum, the Scotland batsman, will retire from international cricket after the one-day game against Hampshire on Sunday. McCallum, who held a full-time job in teaching through his career, said he could no longer devote sufficient time for the game.

He first represented Scotland in 2000 but became a regular only around 2006 and played in a national record 43 ODIs and 11 Twenty20 internationals. The 2007 World Cup and the first two World Twenty20s were among the global tournaments he took part in.

McCallum, 33, averaged over 44 in 14 first-class matches, including a career-best 181 against Netherlands in 2007, the third-highest score for Scotland in first-class cricket. Another highlight was the Intercontinental Cup final last year, when his unbeaten 104 helped Scotland take the first-innings lead.

"It has not been an easy decision to retire this weekend, but I believe the time is right," McCallum said. "These days Scotland are training and competing all year round. It was becoming harder to dedicate the correct amount of time to perform and train at an international level. I have been trying to juggle work and family, on top of school, club and regional cricket, as well as the demands of training and competing at the elite level."

Peter Steindl, Scotland's coach, who worked with McCallum for four seasons praised his attitude. "His dedication and enthusiasm both on and off the pitch has always been a major factor in his success and has been the benchmark for other players to follow," Steindl said. "He never shirked from putting in the hours preparing, improving his skills and getting fitter."