00:00 us what your emotions are right now after what's been a pretty roller coaster
00:04 couple of months I guess from the point where you found out about the contract
00:07 to wrapping it up today and reaching 100? Mixed I think, you know looking
00:16 back to being a kid like I could only have dreamt of playing as many games of
00:22 cricket for England so I'm immensely proud of that. To be in a dressing room
00:28 with so many quality players I've been very fortunate to be a part of that and
00:33 play my part in that but you know it's at the same time I'm I'm sad you know I
00:40 don't think anybody ever wants to walk away from playing for their country it's
00:44 all I ever wanted to do but at the same time you know my timing of my
00:50 announcement was so I can enjoy my last three games and I've very much done that
00:53 and you know on the phone my wife this morning she said go on just get to
00:58 just get to 100 wickets it'd be a nice way to finish and you know to do that
01:03 was a nice way for me personally. Obviously you've been the only one
01:09 who's announced your retirement but some older players knocking around, older
01:12 than yourself, knocking around in the squad. Did today beforehand or during or
01:17 just now feel like sort of an end of an era moment for this team?
01:23 I don't know it's been a bit of a bit of a whirlwind to be honest. Does it feel
01:32 like an end of an era? Look I think you know immediately there's probably going
01:36 to be a little bit of a shuffle I think they go over to the Caribbean in a
01:39 couple of weeks time there'll be some some new faces there start of a new
01:43 cycle you know next World Cup in four years so inevitably there'll be a few
01:49 guys that don't make that but you know they'll probably have a bit of a
01:53 reshuffle immediately and then they'll probably settle down and start planning
01:56 towards that. With the performances you've been able to put in the last three or four games do you still, you spoke about sadness, do you still feel like you're playing cricket at
02:06 international standard and is that the frustration that you're not
02:09 walking away when when your time is done? Yeah I think so I mean my time is done
02:15 because I've called time on it but you know it's with deep regret I think you
02:21 know I think anybody looking in has probably looked at the way I've gone
02:24 about my business and probably playing the best cricket of my career. I'm 33 as
02:31 as fit as I've ever been so you know they one of the reasons that I wasn't
02:37 offered a contract was them going in a different direction after the World Cup
02:42 I don't know why. And you were part of the rebuilding 15 bunch of younger players
02:50 coming in to sort of set the thing off on a new direction do you think there's
02:53 a group of players out there sort of the same ability and same hunger to do that
02:59 as you guys were in 15? Yeah definitely you know I think the depth and you only
03:03 have to have looked at you know the last couple of years of white ball cricket I
03:07 think through COVID where the whole new squad was picked to play against
03:12 Pakistan I think it was and then the guys that just played against Ireland as
03:16 well like there's so many good players in the English game at the minute it's
03:19 really exciting so you know there'll be people knocking on the door and
03:23 there's certainly gonna be some competition for places. Yeah gentleman on
03:29 this side.
03:36 Yeah hi here a bit of a follow-up I mean there are there's talk about how much of
03:45 this team is going to be there going forward yesterday Malan said it might be
03:49 his last game that is I mean we are thinking about Stokes, Muin and others
03:54 but yours was very clear cut you are applauded on to the pitch by your
03:57 teammates so how was it playing that match and how did you feel going into
04:01 the field today? Yeah it was mixed emotions you know it was nice to be able
04:06 to go out there with clarity on what I'm doing beyond this my situation with
04:11 England has always been you know I know I'm on the fringe I'm next in if there's
04:16 an injury very much a squad player and I've been very much at peace with that
04:21 but it doesn't mean it's easy to be in that position never known where you
04:24 stand from tour to tour so look to go out there and just be able to enjoy my
04:30 last game of cricket for England was lovely you know the boys have been been
04:36 great and made it special for me walking out there first was a special moment and
04:41 their memories are cherished forever. Hi David was there ever a point where you
04:50 attempted to carry on maybe until that T20 World Cup next summer was it made
04:55 clear to you that you probably wouldn't be in England's plans for that? I think
05:01 you know being told that they're likely to go in a different direction after the
05:07 World Cup you know I think that was the final nail in the coffin for me I think
05:12 you know I believe that I could still be a part of that World Cup and you know an
05:19 injury or two and you know they're going to be calling on someone with very
05:23 little to no experience in World Cups so yeah look I think I could still be
05:30 played a part in that World Cup I feel like I'm probably playing my
05:34 best cricket so that was part of my decision-making with my family but you
05:40 know it's been a period for some time now like I've just touched on not
05:45 knowing quite where I stand with England and it's just just taken its toll and
05:49 becomes very tiring. If there were injuries and the run-up to June and you
05:55 were to get a call from somebody could you be tempted back for one last go or
05:58 is that definitely it for you? I don't think never say never but but right now
06:05 you know I'm very confident my decision that today was my last game of cricket
06:08 for England do I want to go to the Caribbean and run drinks and not know
06:16 where I stand and just feel like a third wheel again which is very much what I
06:21 felt like when I turned up at Lords and being the only one without a contract
06:24 probably not so I'm done.
06:28 Congratulations on signing off for the IFA. My question is, you know Mickey Arthur was here before you and he made a brutally honest confession that Pakistan had finished number 5 because they deserved to finish there.
06:50 Now given where England finished and the fact that you are the world champions and
06:56 definitely I think everybody expected you to be in the last four. Do you think that's where England deserved to finish at number 7?
07:06 Yeah, we've won three games so we've got six points.
07:11 For a world champion team to come into a tournament with holders and then to have a tournament like this, just how difficult is it in the dressing room? Particularly for the players to maybe focus? I'm just curious about the environment of a world champion for holders having a terrible tournament.
07:39 Well the environment is good. A great group of players that work extremely hard were just underperformed. What else do you want to know? We've finished on what, six points? So that's where we've finished. Good bunch of players that get on well.
07:59 David, just as you look back on your international career, I'm just wondering is there a particular moment or a particular thing about being part of that that really stands out to you as being the best and what is that?
08:17 Look, I think it's been a rollercoaster for me. I remember vividly feeling in 2019 falling out of love with the game around that time having been left out of the World Cup and then COVID hit, had an extended period with no cricket and they picked two squads.
08:43 One was against Ireland for white ball cricket and there was a test match squad as well. I joined up for that return to play group and thought I'm probably only getting this opportunity because they've got to pick a large group of players.
08:59 I promised myself on that day when we went out and played against Ireland that every time I played cricket from there on I was going to make sure I enjoyed it because I don't know whether it's going to be my last. I think that's stuck with me over these last few years that I have to go out there and make sure I'm enjoying it.
09:21 I think the time has come in the last few months and things where I've started looking over my shoulder not knowing where I've been and it's led me to the decision I've made.
09:32 The fond memories, winning that World Cup in Australia I didn't actually play a game but my journey from 2019 to have my family there, two children running on the outfield afterwards, two kids in the line with the whole team running up to the Bami Army at the MCG.
09:52 It's an incredible memory not just for me but for my whole family and sort of encapsulates and celebrates my journey from falling out of love with the game to finding my way back in and I guess the resilience I've had to overcome the disappointments along the way.
10:06 You said how much you just wanted to enjoy these last few games but just on yourself from getting selected for the World Cup to you making the decision, how much did it play on your mind just knowing that you were the only one out here without the contract? How frustrating was that?
10:24 Yeah, look I think if I'm being brutally honest now, look I wasn't sure whether I was going to come to the World Cup even to the 11th hour when we were, you know, the morning that we were joined up at Lords I still wasn't sure whether I'd make the trip or not.
10:40 You know, from then on it was something that was on my mind and look it's not just that I haven't been offered a contract, you know, it's sort of how I feel valued as an England player there when I look down that list of other guys that have got contracts.
10:58 So yeah, look it had been on my mind, you know, I'd spoken with my family, I'd spoken with Joss Motti and then, you know, sort of came to the decision that the time was right for me to call it a day and to make sure that, you know, I did enjoy my last few games of cricket because it's special, wearing this shirt is special and I didn't want to walk away with, you know, tainted memories of playing for my country.
11:27 Was it just something that played on your mind in the first few weeks over here?
11:31 No, it had been on my mind for some time. You only have to look at the global landscape now, you know, ultimately for us as players, you know, cricket is a business and for me never knowing, not having a contract with England, not knowing what tournaments I can commit to.
11:51 I find myself in a position where I'm constantly, I don't know what I'm doing all year round. Now, you know, that's not easy for me, it's not easy for my wife, it's not easy for my kids and I had to take control of that at some stage. So, you know, all rolled up over a period of time looking at that and trying to juggle it and manage it, you know, from playing cricket, enjoying it, making money, making sure I'm spending some time with my family, it became difficult.
12:16 Thank you. Thanks David. Cheers guys.
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