time legend announces retirement after 20 years

Cricket fans and fellow players are paying tribute and sending congratulations after Kiwi legend Suzie Bates announced she's retiring from the international game after the T20 World Cup. The 38-year-old is the all-time leading run-scorer in women's T20 internationals with 4716, and fourth in ODIs with 5936.

She's played a whopping 178 ODIs and 177 T20Is for New Zealand, scoring 14 centuries for her country. Bates is set to be named in the Kiwis' squad for the T20 World Cup in May and June in England, and will bring down the curtain on her illustrious career after the tournament.

"When I look back on the past 20-plus years, I can't quite believe how quickly the time has gone," she said. "I'm immensely proud to have worn the fern so many times, and I've been filled with enormous purpose and joy in striving each day to be a better person, team-mate, cricketer, and athlete for this team.

"I have one final mission: to head to the UK - a place that holds so many special memories for me - and win another World Cup. I'm going to give every ounce of my energy to this final quest, dedicating every minute to helping this team play the kind of cricket we, and our country, can be proud of."

Cricket world pays tribute to Suzie Bates

Bates made her international debut for New Zealand in 2006, and captained her country for seven years starting in 2011. She was named Wisden's women's player of the year in 2015, and the ICC's women's ODI cricketer of the year in 2013 and 2016. She also represented NZ in basketball at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

New Zealand captain Amelia Kerr dubbed Bates "one of the greatest cricketers of all time", adding: "Growing up Suzie was my role model, and I was fortunate enough to make the team when she was captain. If you've ever been lucky enough to play alongside her, you'll know that she's one of the most selfless cricketers in the world and one of the greatest team-mates.

"Her record speaks for itself, she's paved the way for a long time in women's cricket, and what she's done for cricket, the women's game, and sport in New Zealand, she should be very proud of. She'll be hugely missed in the White Ferns whānau (family), but I know she's still got a bit more left in the tank."

Liz Green, the head of women's high performance development in NZ cricket, said: "It's hard to find the words for a player like Suzie. The women's game has been able to develop into what it is today because of players like her.

"You'll hear a lot about her contributions on the field, but it's who she is as a player, team mate, and role model off the field that makes her one of the all-time greats, not only here in New Zealand but also internationally." Fans also sent a flood of tributes on social media.

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