ENGLAND star Jamie Overton has given up the chance to play in the Ashes Tour.
The 31-year-old would have been in line for this winter‘s Ashes Tour later this year in Australia.
GettyJamie Overton has given up the chance to play in the Ashes Tour Down Under[/caption]
GettyOverton admitted his body was unable to handle it going forward[/caption]
However, Overton has now revealed he will instead be playing for Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League rather than England Down Under this Christmas.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Overton has said he is calling time on his first-class career to prioritise his fitness for the white-ball game, both for England and the lucrative franchise leagues.
He has been weighing up the decision for months after speaking to close friends and family, including twin brother Craig.
Overton said: “It’s been a very tough decision but one I’m happy I made.
“Growing up, like every young cricketer, it was my dream to play Test cricket, and I’ve loved every minute of my red-ball career.
“But at this point of my career my body just doesn’t handle it as well as I’d like it to.”
He also explained that a “surprise” selection to the final Test team against India cemented the call.
Overton said: “It was a nice surprise to be included and to play that final Test match.
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“At the start of the summer I didn’t have Test cricket on my radar because I’ve hardly played any red-ball cricket for a couple of years.
“I understood where Keysy and Baz wanted to go, and the sort of players they wanted to take down to Australia.
“I was still fully committed to playing all formats and wanted to give it a really good shot and see how my body was at the end of the summer and go from there.”
Overton, who made his Test debut in June 2022 in the third game, informed Rob Key and Brendon McCullum last week.
Key put out a statement on the news following the announcement, revealing Overton would have been involved in the Series and that the decision was “unexpected” and “sad”.
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