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Jeroen Smits quits international cricket

Jeroen Smits, Netherlands' 37-year-old captain, has announced his retirement from international cricket

Cricinfo staff
28-Oct-2009
Captaining Netherlands to victory against England in the World Twenty20 was a career high for Jeroen Smits  •  Clive Rose/Getty Images

Captaining Netherlands to victory against England in the World Twenty20 was a career high for Jeroen Smits  •  Clive Rose/Getty Images

Jeroen Smits, Netherlands' 37-year-old captain, has announced his retirement from international cricket.
An old-style wicketkeeper who could bat a little, he was one of the most dependable members of the 2003 and 2007 World Cup side. In a career which started in 1992, he made 140 appearances for his national side, including 38 full ODIs.
"Of course it's tempting to stay on a little longer," he said, but admitted that with 18 months before the next World Cup, he wanted to give his replacement a chance to find his feet. "It's better that I make room for a new captain and a new keeper, and that the team gets a chance to adjust as it prepares for that challenge."
"He's been a terrific servant of Dutch cricket and an incredible support to me since I came into this role," coach Peter Drinnen told Cricket Europe. "That he's stepping down now is typically unselfish, evidence of the way in which he considers the bigger picture, and a mark of the quality of the guy."