“I’ll play as long as I can”

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

New Zealand all-rounder Grant Elliott has revealed that he will “assess” his career after the 2016 World Twenty20 in India, prompting speculation that he may retire after the tournament.

Elliott has become an integral part of New Zealand’s limited overs squads as of late and stole the spotlight during the 2015 World Cup semi-finals, where he led the Blackcaps to victory by smashing South Africa pace bowler Dale Steyn for a huge six off the penultimate ball of the match.

But, since Elliott will be 37 by the time the World Twenty20 ends on April 3, he admitted that it is time to start thinking about what the future holds.

“I’ve enjoyed it so much in this environment, it really has been rewarding playing with the guys and the way that the culture has changed has been awesome. As long as I’m enjoying it and performing I’ll play as long as I can,” Elliott told reporters in Wellington. “You spend quite a bit of time away from home, and there are work opportunities, so I’ll just assess it at the end of the World T20. I really want to aim towards that and it’d be great to play in two World Cups within a year.

“I’ve never really played cricket for the attention; but it’s great to get positive attention rather than negative… People [still] come up and say ‘thanks a lot’. Everyone remembers where they were during that semi-final. We have amazing memories as a team.

“To see the kids now, how the World Cup has inspired them, and see the impact you can make as a player, is pretty special. Everyone who played in that World Cup, wherever you go, you can see kids and feel like you’ve had a part to play in their career, or their choice of sport.”