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Following his declaration of retirement earlier in the
week, David Willey has called not being handed a central contract by England
“the final nail in the coffin” of his international career.
Willey, 33, announced his retirement from England
after an eight-year career during which he participated in over 100 white-ball
matches and won a medal in the T20 World Cup. However, he acknowledged to being
“upset, angry, and disappointed” in an interview with Sky Sports at
being the only player from England’s ODI World Cup team not included in the
group of contracts for 2023–24 and beyond, adding that it had made his choice
to retire simpler.
“That for me was probably the final nail in the
coffin really, and made my decision a lot easier,” he said. “These
conversations around contracts all happened before we came out. So when we
joined up at Lord’s [before flying to India for the ODI World Cup], I knew I
was the only one that didn’t have one. It was difficult.
“I feel with two World Cups in 12 months, knowing
my position in the squad, should there be injuries or whatever, I’m a chance
and feel like I’m always a chance. I’m not involved in how these [things] are
put together, who selects them. I don’t necessarily have to agree with them.
But you know, there are decisions that are made and I have to respect them and,
and I make decisions based on how I feel around them.
“[I was] upset, angry, disappointed. But as I
said, I respect their decision. Don’t have to agree with it and it made my
decision a lot easier.”
Willey, who has rarely been England’s first choice,
battled back into the mix following the disappointment of having Jofra Archer
unexpectedly slip into the team at the last minute. Having been a member of the
team that lost the 2016 World Cup final, he was involved in the 2022 T20 World
Cup victory even though he did not play a game in the Australian tournament.
“So over the last six to eight months, the
landscape’s changing,” he said. “It’s always been hard for me to make
sure I’m in [England] squads and I’ve got no guarantees, and the anxiety
leading up to every selection. Then when I am playing, looking over my
shoulder, it starts to weigh heavy on you and I’ve done that for a long time
now.
“I was desperate to play in this World Cup and it
was great to be here. But you know all that rolled into one. I just felt I’ve
given my all and I don’t think I can to do that anymore.”