Sydney, July 16 (IANS) Moises Henriques, the most capped player in Australian domestic cricket history, has announced his retirement from New South Wales and the Sydney Sixers.

Henriques’ full domestic retirement follows the conclusion of his First-Class career a year ago. He played five matches in the Blues’ successful One-Day Cup campaign in 2025-26 and led the Sixers to the BBL 15 Final but was not offered a contract for BBL 16.

He will turn out for his native Portugal next month in a European qualifying tournament for the 2028 T20 World Cup. He will also remain available for overseas leagues and is set to represent Glasgow Cosmic in the new six-team European T20 competition that launches in August.

Henriques, who migrated from Portugal to Australia as a child, was not offered a contract for the coming KFC BBL 16 season and had undergone back surgery in February. He signed his first NSW contract aged 17 and played all 15 seasons of the BBL to date with the Sydney Sixers. He is a three-time BBL champion, leading the side to consecutive titles in BBL 9 and 10.

“I have been very fortunate to call cricket my job for the past 22 years as a professional athlete. I had interest from other BBL teams, but it just didn’t feel right to go elsewhere. To the people I’ve been fortunate enough to play with and work alongside, I’d like to thank you.

“If it weren’t for those relationships and the deep care I have for them, I’m sure I would have reached this day much earlier. I think it’s time for me to call stumps on my career and start looking forward to the next chapter of my life,” Henriques said in a statement shared by Cricket NSW.

The 39-year-old all-rounder departs as the most capped player in Australian domestic cricket history with 420 appearances (110 first-class, 112 List A and 198 T20s) for NSW and the Sixers across all formats. He has won 14 major trophies with Cricket NSW teams, while he also represented Australia in all three formats, earning Australian men’s Test cap number 432 in 2013.

Henriques’ contribution to the game will continue in his role as Cricket NSW Foundation Director, which he has held since late 2025.

–IANS

bc/