New Zealand all-rounder Doug Bracewell has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket after more than a decade in international cricket.
The 35-year-old last represented New Zealand in a Test match in 2023. His decision to retire was influenced by a persistent rib injury that ruled him out of action for Central Districts during the current domestic season.
Bracewell played 28 Tests, 21 One-Day Internationals, and 20 T20 Internationals for New Zealand between 2011 and 2023.
His most memorable international performance came early in his career, when he claimed match figures of 9 for 60 against Australia in Hobart in December 2011, during just his third Test match.
That performance helped the New Zealand national cricket team secure their first Test victory in Australia in 26 years. It remains New Zealand’s most recent Test win on Australian soil.
Across his Test career, Bracewell took 74 wickets at an average of 38.82 with his fast-medium bowling. He also claimed 46 wickets in white-ball cricket for New Zealand.
At domestic and franchise level, Bracewell represented Central Districts throughout his career and also played for Delhi Capitals in the 2012 Indian Premier League (IPL), Joburg Super Kings in SA20 2024, and the Central Stags in the Global Super League earlier this year.
Reflecting on his career, Bracewell described it as a source of immense pride. In a statement released by Central Districts, he said representing New Zealand and Central Districts had been a lifelong ambition that shaped him both as a cricketer and as a person.
“It’s been a proud part of my life, and something I aspired to as a young cricketer,” Bracewell said.
Bracewell retires with a rare achievement in New Zealand domestic cricket, having scored more than 4,000 runs and taken over 400 wickets in first-class cricket.
In 137 first-class matches, Bracewell claimed 437 wickets at an average of 31.08 and scored 4,505 runs at 25.45, including three centuries, highlighting his value as a genuine all-rounder throughout his career.