‘FLOPPY’ BOWS OUT AFTER TEN YEARS

After ten years at the top, Scotland’s wicket-keeper Colin Smith has announced his retirement from the international game.

With 181 caps and a record 261 victims to his name, along with 3,763 runs at an average of 23.7, ‘Floppy’ has been an ubiquitous presence in the Scotland team for a lot longer than most other wicket-keepers.

At six-feet-five-inches, the Aberdeen-born policeman was one of the tallest exponents of his art in the world, and played against all of the Test-playing countries in friendlies and global-level ICC tournaments, including a World Cup and two World Twenty20 Championships.

Today he revealed that, in consultation with his wife Karen, he had decided last year to retire from international cricket at the end of the 2009 season. Now, following discussions with national coach Pete Steindl, he has brought that announcement forward.

“Pete told me he wants to build the team for the challenges of four years’ time, and no-one can criticise him for that,” he said. “I wanted to be involved with the World Cup qualifier in South Africa and the World Twenty20 in England. Now that these competitions are over, there seemed no reason to delay making my decision public.

"I have had some great times, and shared in good results with my team-mates over the past ten years. I remain astonished that an amateur cricketer like me can have the opportunity to play against every world-class nation, and most of their world-class players, on some of the most beautiful grounds in the world. It wouldn’t happen in any other sport, and I have been greatly privileged by the experience.”

Euan McIntyre, the Scotland squad’s team manager and Director of Operations for Cricket Scotland, paid his own tribute to him: “Colin has been a most outstanding member of the squad for all these years, and an object lesson to all who would seek to follow him. He has contributed hugely to our successes, with gloves and with bat. He has earned his place in the pantheon of great Scottish cricketers, and I feel sure he will look back with satisfaction on a career of exceptional achievement.”

Cricket Scotland will be making a presentation to him at one of the forthcoming international matches at his home ground of Mannofield in Aberdeen, where Scotland play Canada and Ireland in July and August respectively.