New Zealand: Sharpe quits top-level cricket (1p Sep 1997)

September 19, 1997

Sharpe quits top-level cricket

From The Press -

Michael Sharpe whose Canterbury cricket career as a medium-fast bowler was dogged by injury has retired from top level play. Sharpe, 31 next month, has succumbed to injury during the past three seasons after starting well and has finally yielded to frustration.

"It's just driven me crazy," said Sharpe yesterday, reflecting on his career with Canterbury which went to the brink of national honours.

However, Sharpe is not ending his playing career nor involvement with the game -- he was recently named Canterbury Country's coach.

The hard-working North Canterbury bowler, who never gave less than total effort, was on the verge of making the New Zealand team for South Africa in 1994-95 after an impressive effort on a New Zealand Emerging Players' team in a pre-season visit to Darwin.

But when Danny Morrison was injured, Sharpe was passed over in favour of the more experienced Richard de Groen.

Then started Sharpe's sequence of injuries which sidelined him each season from the Shell Cup final. That season he suffered a stress fracture near the groin; the following summer a hamstring tear and last season a haematoma in his quadricep was torn, ending another season.

"Each season I'd work hard on fitness to get right but then I'd get injured and blown out."

Last season Sharpe recorded his best one-day figures of four for 26 on his home ground at Dudley Park, Rangiora, against Central Districts before being injured just before the play-offs.

Sharpe took 41 wickets from 30 matches at a respectable economy rate of 3.74 an over.

For Canterbury at first-class level Sharpe captured 52 wickets at 28.00 from 20 matches since his debut against Sri Lanka in 1990-91. A five-wicket bag eluded him with his best figures four for 59.

Sharpe declined a lucrative offer to be Southland's player-coach recently to remain with Canterbury Country. He also manages the Rangiora indoor sports centre.

Source :: The Canterbury Press (https://www.press.co.nz/)