Patel joins Ronchi in retirement
On the same day Luke Ronchi announced his international cricket retirement, his Wellington teammate Jeetan Patel is quietly slipping out a side door, too.
Asked about rumours he was calling time, Patel confirmed from Chelmsford - where he took 4-138 and scored 71 for Warwickshire against Essex - that he’d played his last match for New Zealand at age 37. Like Ronchi, Patel will continue in Wellington colours this season.
Both names will be missing when New Zealand Cricket announces its 21-strong contract list today which is expected to feature three changes: Jeet Raval, Neil Broom and Colin de Grandhomme in for Ronchi, Doug Bracewell and Mark Craig.
Patel’s international career looked over in 2014 when the offspinner turned down a West Indies tour spot to cement his hugely successful association with Warwickshire.
It then roared back into life last October with a callup to India to replace the injured Craig, and by season’s end he was New Zealand’s leading test spinner against South Africa in Hamilton when rain denied him the chance to bowl his side to victory.
Patel’s final international was the Black Caps’ ODI defeat to Bangladesh in Dublin in May, ending a 24-test, 43-ODI career which began in August 2005. He was in the Champions Trophy squad but wasn’t picked for any of New Zealand’s three group matches.
Patel was keen to depart without fanfare when contacted, simply saying he’d enjoyed his comeback but it was time for him and NZC to move on.
Having left his mark on the South Africa series with white ball and red, Patel’s absence will also provide a stern test of the country’s spin stocks. Ish Sodhi is the likely beneficiary if he can prove his consistency at international level, with the jury still out on Mitchell Santner as a frontline test spinner.
Wicketkeeper Ronchi is understood to have told team-mates of his retirement decision during the home season. His last hurrah was at the Champions Trophy when elevated to pinch hitting opener; blasting 65 off 43 balls against Australia, then scoring one against England and 16 against Bangladesh.
The Dannevirke-born 36-year-old played four tests and 85 ODIs; four of those for his adopted country Australia in 2008 before switching allegiance in 2013. His two highlights were a blazing 170 not out against Sri Lanka in a 2015 ODI, and 88 on test debut against England which helped New Zealand to victory at Headingley.
‘‘It was a dream come true,’’ Ronchi said of his career. ‘‘I can’t think of a better time to have been involved with New Zealand cricket. From the 2015 World Cup campaign, through to the overseas tours of that time and some amazing games and series, it’s been a genuine highlight for me.’’
Coach and chief selector Mike Hesson ranks his players on a set formula based on recent performance and likelihood of featuring in 2017-18. Tests carry double the weighting of ODIs and Twenty20 internationals.
Raval, Broom and de Grandhomme were all in New Zealand’s top XI at stages of the home summer, while batsman George Worker looks to have grabbed No 21 for a second year running. Fast bowler Lockie Ferguson was probably next in line.
Craig’s season was wiped out by injury, as was Bracewell’s after he fell awkwardly on the slippery Yarrow Stadium turf and suffered a serious knee injury in December. Both will drop to domestic contracts, to be announced next month.
Retainers are understood to be a small increase on last season’s which were $205,266 for No 1 - likely to be Kane Williamson for a third successive year - down to $83,498 for those ranked 18-21. Last season’s match fees were $8495 per test, $3682 per ODI and $2407 per T20.