Former England World Cup Winner Alex Hartley retires from cricket

London: Alex Hartley, the renowned left-arm spinner who was a key part of England's victorious 2017 ODI World Cup squad, on Tuesday made the decision to retire from professional cricket following the conclusion of the current edition of the Hundred tournament.

Having taken a break from the sport earlier this year due to mental struggles affecting her confidence and enthusiasm for the game while representing Thunder in regional cricket, Hartley returned to the field for Welsh Fire in the Hundred.

In her three appearances for the team, she secured two wickets. The impressive performance of fire this season secured them a spot in the knockout stages, guaranteeing Hartley's participation in either Saturday's eliminator match at The Oval or Sunday's final at Lord's.

Hartley shared her retirement plans on the No Balls podcast, which she co-hosts with Kate Cross. Already successful as a pundit and broadcaster, she had initially intended to play a farewell match for Thunder. However, she ultimately concluded that the timing was right for her retirement.

"I'm hanging my boots up - I am officially retiring from cricket," Hartley announced. "I've absolutely loved it at Welsh Fire, every single second of it. The staff have been really supportive, they've been great over the last month. And I don't want to play 50-over cricket! I'm really, really excited. I'm going to really miss it. I'm going to be really sad - but it's right, isn't it? I've been thinking about it for ages."

During her international career, Hartley represented England in 28 ODIs and four T20Is between 2016 and 2019. Her significant contribution came during the 2017 World Cup, where she played a pivotal role in England's success, finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker with ten wickets, including the crucial