Former India and Tamil Nadu bowler Lakshmipathy Balaji called an end to his 16-year First-Class career on Thursday. The 34-year-old fast-medium bowler confirmed that he would still be a part of franchise cricket, participating in events like the Tamil Nadu Premier League and the Indian Premier League.
Despite an excellent start to his India career, where he quickly rose to spearhead the pace attack between 2003-'04, persistent injuries forced him out of the national side when he was at his peak. The lanky medium-pacer was one of the unsung heroes during India's memorable Test and One-Day International series wins in Pakistan during the summer of 2004.
“I have to move on, have a young family now,” Balaji was quoted as saying by The Hindu. “I have given it all during my 16 years as a first class cricketer. I will be playing in the shorter forms of the game in competitions such as the TNPL and IPL.”
Balaji picked out teammate Zaheer Khan and former India coach John Wright as the biggest motivators in his career. He said, “Zak would constantly share his ideas with me, encourage me. He is a fine person. I was very young, just around 20, when I played for India. John [Wright] really believed in me and made me believe in myself.”
Balaji picked up 27 wickets in the eight Tests he played. He finished with impressive First-Class figures, picking up 330 wickets in 106 games at an average of 26.10. Currently, he also works as the bowling coach of the Tamil Nadu side.
