Sunil Narine

West Indies all-rounder rules out shock return for T20 World Cup

In-form all-rounder Sunil Narine has ruled out reversing his decision to retire from international cricket and make a shock return for the West Indies at this year's ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

Narine retired from international cricket towards the end of last year, but has been in excellent touch during the ongoing Indian Premier League season with the Kolkata Knight Riders having contributed a total of 286 runs at an average north of 40 and collected nine wickets with his off-spin.

That recent run of good form saw West Indies T20I captain Rovman Powell reveal he was trying to coax Narine out of retirement so the all-rounder could feature for the Caribbean side at June's T20 World Cup that they will co-host with the USA.

M32: WI v Pak - Sunil Narine Bowling Package

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But Narine took to social media on Monday to indicate there would be no comeback to international cricket and that he was at peace with his decision to retire.

"I'm truly flattered and humbled that my performances recently have moved many people to publicly express their wish for me to come out of retirement and play in the upcoming T20 World Cup," Narine wrote.

"I have made peace with that decision and whilst I never wish to disappoint, that door is now closed and I will be supporting the guys who take the field in June for West Indies.

"Guys who have worked hard for the past few months and deserve to show our wonderful fans that they are capable of winning another title - I wish you all the best."

The West Indies open their T20 World Cup campaign in Guyana against Papua New Guinea on June 2, with further Group C matches coming against Uganda, New Zealand and Afghanistan.

Men's NewsNewsICC Men's T20 World Cup, 2024