Ireland cricket great O'Brien retires from ODIs
Ireland all-rounder Kevin O'Brien has announced his retirement from one-day internationals.
DUBLIN (AFP) - Ireland all-rounder Kevin O Brien has announced his retirement from one-day internationals, admitting that he no longer has the "hunger and love" for the format needed to compete.
The 37-year-old Dubliner, who remains available for Test and T20 cricket, won 153 caps in the 50-over format, scoring over 3,000 runs and taking a national record 114 wickets in the format with his lively medium pace.
But he is best known for a blistering World Cup hundred that saw Ireland beat England by three wickets in Bangalore during the 2011 edition.
O Brien s magnificent 113 -- made after coming in at number six -- featured 13 fours and six sixes, with Ireland chasing down a seemingly stiff target of 328 for a memorable win.
His 50-ball hundred remains the quickest in World Cup history, with O Brien hammering an England attack that featured James Anderson, Stuart Broad and off-spinner Graeme Swann.
"After 15 years playing for Ireland, I feel now is the right time to step away and retire from ODI cricket," O Brien told the Cricket Ireland website on Friday.
"It has been an honour and a privilege to represent my country 153 times and the memories I take from them will last a lifetime.
"The hunger and love for the ODI format is no longer the same as it was and it wouldn t be fair... to continue to play while no longer feeling at 100 percent.
"I will now shift my focus and remain fully committed to T20 cricket -- with two World Cups in the next 18 months -- and hoping to add to my three caps in Test cricket."
