Domestic Legend George Worker Announces Retirement

Former Blackcaps cricketer, George Worker has announced his retirement from cricket to take up another job opportunity.

Throughout his career, Worker represented the Central Stags (2007/08-2010/11 & 2014/15-2020/21), Canterbury (2011/12-2013/14), and Auckland (2021/22-2023/24). He also played ten One Day Internationals and two T20Is.

In his T20I career, he scored 90 runs with a 62 coming on debut against Zimbabwe in Harare, Worker also featured in the following match against South Africa in Durban. 

There were more opportunities for Worker in the ODI format with matches against South Africa, Ireland, Bangladesh, and Pakistan throughout his short international career. 

In 2022 Worker was recalled to the New Zealand side following a strong Ford Trophy season after Mark Chapman had fallen ill with Covid-19, but he didn’t feature in the series.

To go along with his international honours, Worker also played for New Zealand Under-19, New Zealand A, and the North Island side throughout his career.

A First-Class debut came for Worker in December 2007 against Wellington at McLean Park for the Central Stags. He would go on to represent them 74 times across the format, playing 25 First-Class fixtures for Canterbury, and 21 for Auckland.

Worker amassed over 6100 runs for the three sides and took 54 wickets in the four-day game, both his highest score, 210, and his best figures, 4/58, would come for the Stags.

The List A format would be classed as Worker’s most successful with a domestic average across the three sides of 44.15, mainly attributed to his 16 centuries and 29 fifties. Over 5500 runs would come off his bat and he’d also grab 55 wickets with the ball.

He had to wait a little longer for a T20 debut for the Stags in February 2009 against Wellington at McLean Park. For the Stags he would go on to score 2107 runs, still second on the list for the most runs and is the only player to have both a century and five-wicket haul in the format for Central.

Whilst his T20 career for Auckland wasn’t as successful, only scoring 361 runs across his 23 matches, he was able to score 728 for Canterbury in just 29 matches.

Worker retires with a stellar record and career next to his name, and he will surely be missed around the Auckland cricketing side this summer. ACA has confirmed that they are working alongside NZC and the NZCPA to find the replacement player for the 16th contract.