New Zealand all-rounder Hayley Jensen announced her retirement from international cricket, ending an 11-year journey. At the age of 32, she entered the New Zealand set-up in 2014, and her retirement on Friday was that of a storied performer in both ODIs and T20Is. Across 88 matches, she would claim 76 wickets with pins down and stand grimey as a middle-order batter and medium-pace bowler in the centre.
In an emotional statement, Jensen touched upon the decision to stay away from the game: “From my first cricket tournament at 10, I wanted to wear the White Ferns jersey. Living that dream has been my greatest honor. This journey taught me resilience, gave me lifelong friendships, and allowed me to be part of something bigger. It’s hard to walk away, but I know it’s time.”
Hayley Jensen stealer career Stats
| Stat | WODIs | WT20Is |
|---|---|---|
| Innings | 33 | 48 |
| Wickets | 28 | 48 |
| Economy Rate | 4.94 | 6.58 |
| Strike Rate | 43.4 | 18.7 |
| Best Bowling Figure | 3/32 | 3/5 |
Key Observations:
Wicket-Taking: More effective in WT20Is with 48 wickets in 48 innings compared to 28 in 33 innings in WODIs.
Strike Rate: Much better in WT20Is (18.7) than in WODIs (43.4), indicating a wicket every 18.7 balls in T20s.
Economy Rate: Lower (better) in WODIs at 4.94 compared to 6.58 in WT20Is, which is expected due to the format differences.
Best Figures: More impactful best figures in WT20Is with 3/5, suggesting strong short-format performances.
Some of the prominent moments of her career included the Player of the Match award at the 2020 T20 World Cup against Sri Lanka, where she took 3 wickets for 16 runs. Two years later, in the Commonwealth Games playoff against England, she took 3 wickets for 24 runs, helping New Zealand to capture the bronze medal. Jensen’s career simply never gave much about the limelight as she put in work consistently.
“In each game, Hayley put her whole heart into it—whether with the ball, batting, or lifting the spirits of the team. It was that passion which was infectious and perhaps the biggest impact one could ask for. We wish her the best in whatever she decides to do next.”
As Jensen steps away from the game, New Zealand cricket will be bidding goodbye to such a stalwart player. It was not a great year for the White Ferns, who especially lost all the three T20 matches against Australia.
