DUBLIN: Ireland all-rounder Kevin O’Brien, whose century against England during a 2011 World Cup match remains the fastest hundred in the tournament’s history, has quit One-day Internationals, Cricket Ireland said on Friday.

O’Brien wrote his name in the record books with a 50-ball century in Bangalore 10 years ago when Ireland beat England by three wickets, chasing down a 328-run victory target with five balls to spare.

O’Brien smashed 113 batting No. 6, clobbering six sixes in his 63-ball blitz, in the defining knock of his ODI career, while hammering an England attack that featured James Anderson, Stuart Broad and off-spinner Graeme Swann.

“After 15 years playing for Ireland, I feel now is the right time to step away and retire from ODI cricket,” O’Brien said in a statement issued by Cricket Ireland.

“It has been an honour and a privilege to represent my country 153 times and the memories I take from them will last a lifetime,” added the player who will be available for Test and Twenty20 International cricket. “The hunger and love for the ODI format is no longer the same as it was and it wouldn’t be fair... to continue to play while no longer feeling at 100 percent.

“I will now shift my focus and remain fully committed to T20 cricket — with two World Cups in the next 18 months — and hoping to add to my three caps in Test cricket.“

The 37-year-old’s 3619 runs is the third highest from his country and he is Ireland’s leading wicket-taker with 114 scalps in One-day Internationals.

His father Brendan and elder brother Niall also played for Ireland.

Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2021