Ingram’s focus on T20 game
STAR Warriors batsman Colin Ingram called time on his red-ball cricket career both at home and abroad yesterday to concentrate on the global white-ball game.
Ingram will be joining the growing band of cricketers who travel the world playing in various T20 leagues.
His move to Glamorgan as a Kolpak player has seen him re-establish himself on the international stage after he last played for South Africa in 2013.
There has been a feeling among his most ardent supporters that Ingram was dealt a raw deal at international level.
Ingram, who will be in the Warriors’ Ram Slam lineup against the Knights at St George’s Park tomorrow night, has resigned himself to the fact he will never play for South Africa again, but he is creating a niche for himself on the international stage by carving up bowling attacks with disdain.
“It hasn’t been an easy decision, but with having a couple of outstanding seasons, both here and in the UK, I think it’s time to play to my strengths,” he said.
“I have opportunities globally and I just think it’s the right time to move in that direction.”
The bruising and menacing lefthander, who last played first-class cricket for the Warriors in February last year, will also play for the Adelaide Strikers in Australia’s Big Bash, which starts next month.
He said he was heartened that young Warriors players were stepping up in multi-day cricket.
“It’s been massively encouraging over the last few years the way our young batters have come on and there’s more young guys in the pipeline.
“When you look at the few opportunities some have had, there have been loads of hundreds.
“It’s good to have Jon-Jon [Smuts] back playing red-ball cricket again and doing really well starting the season and having expertise as captain, so I feel like I leave the Warriors in a good place.”
Warriors chief executive Mark Williams said: “Colin has been a home boy and a contributor to cricket here for a long time.
“Warriors and EP Cricket thank Colin for his loyalty and wish him well in white-ball cricket.”
Ingram played 111 first-class matches, averaging 37.30, scoring 14 hundreds and 30 fifties.