Scotland most-capped cricketer, Craig Wright, has today announced his retirement from international cricket. Wright (35) retires after having been capped 194 times by his country since his debut in 1997.

Wright was made captain of the national side in 2003 and led his country on a record 107 occasions. Under his leadership the Scotland team won the 2004 Intercontinental Cup and the 2005 ICC Trophy as well as recording wins against English county sides on numerous occasions. He also led the side to the 2007 World Cup before stepping back from the captaincy.

Wright is the current record-holder for wickets taken by a Scottish bowler, with 255 from nearly 1600 overs for his country. In addition to his wickets, he scored 2626 runs at an average of 20.52, with a highest score of 88 not out, against both Holland in 2004 and Surrey in 2005. Wright also took 59 catches for Scotland, putting him third on the all-time list. Having played for Scotland in South Africa in April, Wright made it clear at the conclusion of the tour that he planned to retire. With injuries to Gordon Goudie and the unavailability of other bowlers, he agreed to continue till after the World T20 in England, to assist in the transition and progression of younger members of the bowling attack.

Craig Wright will continue to play a major role in Scottish Cricket as performance development manager, a post responsible for the management and development of the regional and national academy structures. He is also coaching the National U17 and U19 squads as they prepare for forthcoming ICC events.

Commenting on his decision, he said: "It has been an immense privilege to have represented my country in a sport I love over the past 12 years, and I am extremely proud to have had the honour of captaining the side during that period. "We have experienced several highs and lows over this time, but I am glad to have been involved during a period where the Scotland team took significant strides forward and became the leading associate nation in the mid-2000’s. "It is important now that everyone involved in Scottish Cricket is working extremely hard to ensure we get things moving in the right direction again after a difficult period recently. I wish Pete and Gav all the best in driving the team forward and bringing further success, and I believe we have a solid group of young players - such as Berrington, Coetzer, MacLeod and Goudie - around which the next team can be built. They not only have the appropriate skill level, but also the right character to succeed.

"Stepping back from international cricket will allow me to focus on my role as Performance Development Manager. My ambition is to assist the next generation of Scottish cricketers in maximising their potential to raise the quality and quantity of players available at all levels of Scottish cricket. "I would like to thank all my team mates who have shared in the experiences of the past 12 years, and all those who have supported me at various stages in my cricket career."

Roddy Smith, chief executive, stated: "Craig has been one of the most important figures in the Scotland team since his debut, and has represented his country with great skill and passion on a record number of occasions. He played a vital role in the transformation of the national side and can take immense pride in the contribution he made to winning world competitions and beating English county sides. "It is a measure of Craig’s commitment to Scottish cricket that he put off his retirement in recent weeks to assist the side during a busy period when there were injury problems to other bowlers. I am sure now he will be even more focused on developing the next generation of Scottish cricketers in his professional role with us, building on the excellent work already being doing regionally and nationally throughout Scotland. As a role model and coach for aspiring international cricketers I can think of no better person."