Worcestershire opener Daryl Mitchell to retire at season's end

Daryl Mitchell, the Worcestershire opener, will retire at the end of this season after nearly two decades at New Road.

The 37-year-old Mitchell will call time on his career after his side's final Championship match of the year against Leicestershire, beginning at New Road on September 21.

Mitchell has made more than 500 appearances across all formats for Worcestershire since his senior debut in 2005. He has scored 13,874 first-class runs at an average of 38.75 and has 38 centuries to his name, putting him among the top-six century-makers for Worcestershire. He also has 3874 List A runs and 2310 runs in T20s and is the only Worcestershire player to have taken 100 T20 wickets.

Mitchell captained Worcestershire for six seasons and spent four years as chair of the Professional Cricketers' Association, where he is now director of cricket operations and the chair of its newly formed advocacy group. He will take up working with the PCA full-time in October.

"I'm in a lucky and privileged position to be able to transition from playing to that role and really excited about that for the future," Mitchell said. "Hopefully, I can go out with a bit of a bang with a couple of hundreds and a couple of wins. That's the plan.

"I have nothing but fond memories here at New Road. I've had a brilliant career here and played with some fantastic people and I'm looking forward to coming next year as a fan. This place is very close to my heart, and I guess I'll go full circle and bring the kids down next year just like my dad used to bring me."

Fanos Hira, Worcestershire CCC chair, said: "Daryl has been an outstanding, loyal and committed player for our club. He has been supremely impressive on the field, and having dealt with him on many matters off the field, I am sure he has a very healthy future in sports administration. In many ways, he is a role model for elite sportsman as they transition to a new life after sport."