Jodie Fields retires from international cricket

Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars World Cup winning Captain Jodie Fields has today announced her retirement from international cricket.

Fields retires as one of the most successful Australian cricket captains, having led her side to the 2012 ICC Women’s World Twenty20 and the 2013 ICC Women’s World Cup and bows out with the team holding the number one world rankings in One Day International (ODI) and T20 cricket.

Fields sits equal-second on the number of Australian women’s international matches captained (58 matches with Karen Rolton, behind Belinda Clark’s 113 matches).

She is the seventh most-capped Australian women’s international, notching up four Tests, 67 ODIs and 37 Women’s T20 International matches, following her international debut in a Test against India in 2006.

Toowoomba-born Fields made a name for herself with both the bat and gloves throughout her career. She amassed a total of 331 Test runs, 1162 ODI runs and 249 T20 runs.

Her wicketkeeping statistics are equally impressive, having claimed 11 dismissals in Tests,  76 dismissals (57 catches, 19 stumpings) in ODIs and 40 dismissals (25 catches and 15 stumpings) in T20s.

In 2009 Fields became the first Queensland woman to captain Australia when she was announced as Karen Rolton’s replacement. Her first game as captain of the Australian national women’s side was a T20 against England in Derby in June 2009. 

In her first Test match as captain against England in July 2009 she made her maiden Test century with a captain’s knock of 139, rescuing her team which had slumped to 5-28. The match was eventually drawn after rain on the last day.

It hasn’t been all smooth sailing for Fields. She tore her hamstring off the bone while batting in a domestic match in 2010. She worked hard in her rehabilitation, with her goal being to return for the 2010 ICC Women’s World T20 in the West Indies.

In a cruel twist of fate, she slipped on wet concrete while recovering from the injury and she was forced to watch the Australian side go on to win the tournament from the couch, which only spurred her on to her comeback in January 2011.

Fields captained the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars to a second successive ICC Women’s World Twenty20 title in 2012 in Sri Lanka, defying the odds to defeat the raging hot favourites England in the final. She led the side to the ICC Women’s World Cup in India less than six months later in February 2013 with a crucial 36 not out against the West Indies in the final.

The 29-year-old is arguably one of Queensland’s greatest ever female players. To date she has notched up 89 WNCL matches and 47 WT20 matches with the Konica Minolta Queensland Fire and has enjoyed great individual success at domestic level.

She has won the Fire’s Player-of-the-Year award on three occasions and has amassed 2327 WNCL runs and 829 WT20 runs in her career to date. Fields has captained the Fire since the 2008-09 season and, despite missing the final due to injury, led her side to their first ever WT20 title in the 2013-14 season.

Speaking about her decision to retire Fields said: “It has been a tremendous honour and privilege to represent my country.

“I feel that this is the right time for me to retire from international cricket. I’ve been really lucky and proud to be able to represent Australia for as long as I have and to have been a part of some amazing and successful teams.”

“There is nothing I loved more than pulling on my Australian jersey and running onto the field with my team-mates. The friendships and memories will stay with me forever.

“No doubt the highlights of my international career were captaining the side to two World Cup wins within the space of six months and I particularly enjoyed the challenges of Test cricket. None of it would have been possible without hard work and dedication from everyone involved.

“Throughout my career I have always given my all on and off the field and I am extremely grateful for having the opportunity to captain the national team.

“Cricket has changed a lot since I first played for Australia. The women’s game is bigger and better than it has ever been and I hope that more and more girls continue to take up the game.

“Thanks to everyone who supported me during my international career. I would not have been able to achieve what I have without the support of those close to me, particularly my family and friends.

“Cricket has given me a lot of great experiences but I’m looking forward to the next phase and being able to focus on other career opportunities.”

Cricket Australia Chairman Wally Edwards said: “I’d like to congratulate Jodie on a successful international career and thank her for her immense contribution to women’s cricket at all levels of the game.

“Jodie has been a passionate and committed member of the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars for eight years, and as a dual World Cup winning captain, she sits in elite company in the history of Australian cricket.

“Two of my highlights as CA Chairman have been watching Jodie lead team to the 2013 Women’s World Cup in India and 2012 World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.

“Jodie’s on-field achievements are a testament to her exemplary work ethic off the field and the Southern Stars’ sustained success over the years, which have inspired many talented young females across the country to watch and play cricket.”

Jodie Maree Fields (nee Purves)

Born: June 19, 1984, Toowoomba, Queensland

Batting Style: Right-hand bat

Fielding Position: Wicketkeeper

Batting and Fielding Averages