Bermuda wicketkeeper Minors retires

Dean Minors, the Bermuda wicketkeeper, has announced his retirement from all cricket after being dropped from the squad for the World Twenty20 Qualifiers in UAE next month.

Minors, 42, had earlier been lured out of retirement by Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) to bolster the national team ahead of last July's Americas Division One Twenty20 Tournament in Florida. However, he had told the BCB that he couldn't commit to training because of his day job as a teacher.

"I explained to them that my first priority would be to my work commitments," Minors told the Royal Gazette Online. "And after giving the national team 20 years of service and then on top of that come out of retirement to assist I thought I would've been given a bit more flexibility.

"In the last few weeks leading up to the tournament I was even trying to work overtime to allow myself to train extra so there was a lot of manoeuvring on my part to make time and make myself available because of the importance of this tour. But of course it was not meant to be and I just wish the team the best of luck in Dubai."

Minors said it was time for a new wicketkeeper to step into his role. "After the team (Twenty20 squad) was announced something came over me and I just thought it was time to retire. I can't go on forever and I think it's time for wicketkeepers like Jason [Anderson] and Jekon [Edness] to step up."

Minors is contemplating staying with cricket through umpiring. "The suggestion came from Clay (Smith). he was saying why not consider umpiring because of the shortage of umpires," Minors said. "I just want to help raise the standard (of cricket) and if I can do that through umpiring then I am more than willing to stand in the middle and do what I have to do."