South African cricketer Trisha Chetty announces retirement owing to recurring back issues

After a career spanning more than 21 years, South African wicketkeeper-batter Trisha Chetty, announced her retirement from professional cricket owing to constant back issues. Chetty said that her back problem has been a recurring affair for the past five years and that she tried everything to keep pushing hard, but her body signalled that it was the right time to finally hang up her boots.

"Due to a recurring back injury for the past 5 years, the time has come for me to hang up my boots and let the gloves catch dust. I have tried everything to keep playing and have pushed as hard as I can but my body is signalling that it has no more to give and it is time to retire from all forms of cricket," Chetty was quoted as saying by CSA. 

Chetty made her debut for South Africa in 2007. Fast forward to 2023, she ended her career as the wicketkeeper with the most dismissals (184) in women's ODIs.  "I can still remember the incredible feeling I had back in



2007 as I walked over the boundary rope, dressed in green and gold for the first time. For the past 16 years, it has been a privilege to represent my country and play for the Proteas, and that feeling has never gone away - each time I pulled on my South African kit I felt honoured to be doing so," she added.

She also mentioned how this wasn't really an easy option and her disbelief that her career has come to an end. "This was not an easy decision for me, and even now, I can't quite believe my career is over. However, my cricket career has been a life-changing experience and I look back with no regrets and a full heart...Cricket has taught me about life, being disciplined, what it means to be professional and how to be a team player. For this, I will always be grateful. And I choose to continue to be grateful for cricket as I retire and transition into the next chapter of my life," she said.

Trisha represented Proteas in two Tests, 82 T20Is and 134 ODIs.