New Zealand's Chris Martin Retires

New Zealand fast bowler Chris Martin has announced his retirement from international cricket.
Martin retires as New Zealand's 3rd highest wickettaker in test matches with 233, only behind Richard Hadlee and Daniel Vettori. His stats might look average, but he was a largehearted fighter with the ball. He was a workhorse who could bowl long spells, and for a New Zealand fast bowler, he remained mostly fit throughout his career, and that in itself has to be considered an achievement. Martin's spell against India at Ahmedabad where he reduced India to something like 15-5 was real class on a flattish track. Martin reserved his best against South Africa, against whom he has a much better average than his overall career one. He has taken out Graeme Smith no less than 8 times. The way he worked over Phil Hughes was a treat to watch.
Chris Martin the bowler was good, but the Fantom was an absolute legend of the game with the bat!!. Nobody played a better cover drive or a straight drive than the Fantom did!, if the damn ball missed the bat, it couldn't have been his problem could it??! Chandra, Walsh, Fantom. All part of a great tradition of the game!.
All the best Chris Martin for your life after playing cricket. Cricket lovers will certainly remember you for all the joy you have brought to the experience of watching the game.

A huge loss to tail end batting.

In seriousness, a very decent bowler who had a good career. Wish him all the best.

Farewell to a great servant of NZ cricket. Like many NZ cricketers, not the most talented but proof of what can be achieved with hard work & application. And also what happens without that - one theory for his batting ineptness is that it's because he was in his 20s before he got his drivers' licence, and prior to that didn't fancy cycling to practice carting a full kitbag (and actually, having cycled the 8 miles home from practice in my teens once with a strong head wind blowing on a road with a 100km/h speed limit I can sort of understand that  )

I've posted this before, but it's the finest tribute I can think of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_NsFh-Z4aE