The gloves are off
Not wanting to risk another head knock played a part in White Fern Katey Martin’s decision to retire before, not after, the Commonwealth Games. Andrew Voerman reports.
Katey Martin is determined to give back after calling time on her cricket career, which spanned more than two decades and included 199 international appearances for the White Ferns.
The 37-year-old would have loved to have added one or two more in the final stages of the Women’s Cricket World Cup on home soil earlier this year, but it wasn’t to be.
She played for the Otago Sparks and the White Ferns – and a few others – for more than half her life, but said the time was right to step back, especially after a final yearwhen she was affected by concussion.
Martin took a blow to the head while wicketkeeping in a warmupmatch against England in February last year and another in anotherwarmup match on the return tour last September.
She had never experienced anything like it in her career and has felt lingering effects, such as dizziness, at times, including during the World Cup.
Martin said her ‘‘unnerving’’ experience over the past 12 months played a part in her decision to retire instead of trying to play through to the end of the Twenty20 tournament at the Commonwealth Games in England in July.
‘‘I didn’t want to get a head knock and then have to dealwith that again. It does get you really down, and then you feel like you can’t give your all.
‘‘That played somewhat into the decision. I knew the timewas right, but those little things add to it.’’
Martin finished with 103 appearances in one-day internationals, 95 in T20 internationals and a single test match to her name.
Her last outing was at Hagley Oval against Pakistan in the White Ferns’ final match at the ODI World Cup, where they didn’t advance past the round-robin.
She was in tears during the national anthem that day, having discussed her looming retirementwith her team-mates beforehand, and made an unbeaten 30 with the bat as her side finished with a consolation win.
Eight weeks later, Martin is still wondering what might have been, especially in the opening match against the West Indies, where she was dismissed for 44 with five runs needed off five balls, and the White Ferns lost by three.
It was one of three narrow defeats the team had at the eight-team tournament. Had any of them gone the other way, they would have made the semifinals, and Martin said the West Indies loss ‘‘was something that continues to play on [her] mind’’.
‘‘I was out there, and I had the opportunity, and I knew how important that was.
‘‘There have been some really tough moments and some heartbreaking moments and there were times where I’ve scored runs, but never fully finished the job.
‘‘That’s something I’ve struggled with over the last year or so. I haven’t been as consistent as I should’ve been as a player and knowing that that’s your role, and you haven’t done that, has been quite tough.’’
On a more positive note, Martin said she was proud to have played her entire New Zealand domestic career with the Otago Sparks, starting in 2001, and to have been part of three title-winning campaigns – in one-dayers this year and in 2014, and T20s in 2017.
‘‘I didn’t think that we’d win a title for
Otago, we were lagging around the bottom, but that was such an awesome experience.
‘‘Then obviously to not be there this year, but see the young girls win the HBJ against Wellington was so cool, and I guess in away that solidified my decision to retire, seeing that the next crop of players were there and ready to go through.’’
Martin’s first experience of international cricket – her only test and three ODIs in India – came in 2003 when she was only 18. An almost five-yearwait followed before her next White Ferns appearance, but she was for the most part a regular after that.
Looking back at her career, and her debut in particular, she said: ‘‘Having dad on the sidelinewith his New Zealand flag – and he’s done that all throughout my career – was probably the thing that really stands out. ‘‘The memories off the field and the change room with the team-mates – you can never replace those.’’ Martin’s final act as a cricketer was to take part in the FairBreak Invitational T20 tournament in Dubai earlier this month – an event bringing together players from around the world. ‘‘Hearing the stories about how they’ve developed and what cricket is like in their country, I guess has refreshed my mind in cricket and what I can do around helping and supporting, not just here in New Zealand, but also what I can do around supporting and mentoring these players around the world,’’ Martin said.
‘‘If you imagine a little girl in Bhutan watching someone in the national team being on TV, playing with the likes of [fellow White Fern] Suzie Bates or [England international] Sophie Ecclestone, that’swhat’s going to help grow the game globally. ‘‘
Now back home, Martin intends to continue as a commentator for Spark Sport, an areawhere she’s been a welcome addition around her playing commitments the past two summers, but has also resolved to dowhat she can to help support the next generation of wicketkeepers coming through.
‘‘I know it’s pretty daunting moving from domestic cricket into international cricket, so if I can pass on the knowledge that I’ve been able to gain over that period of time and get in and hit some balls, and help others out.
‘‘I was fortunate to when I was younger to have [former White Fern] Rowan Milburn in Dunedin who helped me with my wicketkeeping and got me into position that I have been in, so I want to be able to do that and help grow the game.’’
‘‘There have been some really tough moments and some heartbreaking moments and there were times where I’ve scored runs, but never fully finished the job.’’
Katey Martin