Merissa Aguilleira retires from international cricket

Former West Indies women captain Merissa Aguilleira has retired from international cricket. Aguilleira, 33, was one of the senior-most players in the West Indies team, having played 112 ODIs and 95 T20Is in an international career that started in 2008.

Aguilleira, a wicketkeeper-batsman, had been captain from 2009 to 2015, including in the final of the 2013 World Cup and the semi-finals of the World T20 in 2010, 2012 and 2014. She was also part of the West Indies team that won the World T20 in 2016 at Kolkata's Eden Gardens.

As a wicketkeeper, Aguilleira was involved in 104 dismissals in ODIs, the most for West Indies and fifth overall, and 72 in T20Is. She scored six half-centuries in ODIs in a total of 1752 runs at an average of 20.61. In T20Is, she scored 768 runs at an average of 14.49 with a best of 39 not out.

"I wish to thank all members of the team with which I worked and that worked with me to secure success in our endeavors to bring pleasure, pride, happiness and inspiration to West Indian people everywhere," Aguilleira said in a Cricket West Indies statement. "It is an absolute honor to have been of service to West Indies cricket. My continued goal is to assist CWI to build and develop women's cricket and help others like me to achieve their dreams."

Aguilleira's last international series was the T20I tour of Pakistan in February, in which she also led the side in regular captain Stafanie Taylor's absence. Her last ODI was in September last year against South Africa, a series in which she brought off her 100th ODI dismissal. Aguilleira, however, had been left out of the squad for the upcoming tour of Ireland and England in May-June.

"From my own experience this cannot be the easiest of times for Merissa," CWI's director of cricket Jimmy Adams said. "However, her dignity and candor in communicating this decision has been exceptional. The highest of accolades are due to her for a career spanning more than 10 years which included over 100 ODIs. Far exceeding the statistics, Merissa has been the epitome of professionalism throughout her career whilst consistently upholding the highest possible standards on and off the field.

"Personally I am very grateful to Merissa for all her help and assistance she gave me since I became Director of Cricket, and I have no doubt that she will continue to add value to the game in the region in the future. I wish her all the very best as she begins a new chapter in her life."