Angus Fraser ends playing career to join 'The Independent'

Angus Fraser, England's most prolific bowler of the 1990s, is retiring from cricket to join The Independent. After 18 years as a player for Middlesex and England, Fraser will take up the post of the paper's Cricket Correspondent next month.

Middlesex's captain, aged 36, has been developing a new career as a writer and broadcaster in recent years while continuing to play at county level. He made his last England appearance three summers ago after a 10-year international career that saw him take 177 wickets in 46 Tests at an average of 27.32. He also played in 42 one-day internationals, taking 47 wickets at an average of 30.04.

"I'm thrilled to be offered this opportunity," Fraser said. "Although the emotional wrench of leaving Middlesex will be huge I'm certain I'm making the right decision. All I have had from the county is 100 per cent support. They say they're sad to lose me, but they realise this is a wonderful chance for me.

"When you've been a player for as long as I have you do wonder whether you'll enjoy anything quite as much as playing, but I've spent a lot of this winter writing and commentating and enjoyed it hugely. I always wanted to stay in the game, which meant a career in the media, coaching or as an administrator. Having got a taste for the media work, that's where I see my future.

"I've loved playing, but as you get older you quickly realise that your playing days are coming to an end. I've always played hard and trained hard and I've had my share of injury problems. That all takes it toll and when I see some of our younger players throwing themselves around the field I do start to feel my age."

Fraser, who was awarded an MBE four years ago, made his England debut against Australia at Edgbaston in 1989, announcing his arrival by taking the wicket of Steve Waugh. Over the next 10 years he became an England regular, successive captains cherishing his accuracy, consistency and appetite for hard work. A seam bowler in the classic mould, with the ability to hit the right line and length ball after ball, his knack of finding late movement off the pitch claimed many a victim. In 1996 he was named as one of Wisden's cricketers of the year.

Although it was not a period of great success for England, there were plenty of high points for Fraser, particularly overseas and especially against arguably the toughest opponents of his time, the West Indies.

An early success came with an improbable England victory in Jamaica in 1990, Fraser taking 5 for 28 as the home side were dismissed for 164 in their first innings. The best Test return of his career, 8 for 53 (11 wickets in the match), came in Port-of-Spain eight years later. Although that performance could not prevent a defeat, Fraser's nine wickets in the next Test at the same venue helped secure a three-wicket victory.

Considering his record, it was surprising that there were several occasions – most notably the 1994-95 Ashes tour – when he was overlooked by selectors. His last Test appearance was in the Melbourne victory of 1998, though he bowed out of the one-day international scene on a less happy note, playing in the 63-run defeat by India at Edgbaston in 1999 as England failed to reach the latter stages of a World Cup for the first time.

The statistics of Fraser's England career speak for themselves, with only six other England bowlers able to better his record of 13 five-wicket hauls. His total of 177 Test wickets places him 12th in the all-time list of England wicket-takers.

But for the serious hip injury that interrupted his career in the early 1990s, he would surely have passed the 200-wicket mark for England. At one stage it seemed that the injury might end his career, but after a successful operation at the end of 1992 he fought his way back into the England side the following year. He celebrated his return against the Australians at The Oval by winning the man of the match award. The first of his eight wickets was the prized scalp of Mark Waugh.

"Some people said that I was never the same bowler that I was before the injury, but if you look at my figures I was taking wickets at much the same rate before and after the injury," he said. "I feel very privileged to have played as long as I have. I've played for 10 years longer than many people thought I would bearing in mind the injury problems I've had."

Fraser has been with Middlesex since leaving school in 1984. His big breakthrough came in the 1988 NatWest Trophy final, when his three wickets included that of the dangerous Graeme Hick. In addition to the NatWest triumph, he helped Middlesex win three County Championships, one Benson and Hedges Cup and one Sunday League title. His overall first-class average is remarkably similar to his Test statistics, his 879 wickets having cost 27.40 runs apiece.

The next month will give Fraser the chance to say his farewells: he will be available for Middlesex's first two County Championship matches of the season and for the zonal stage of the Benson and Hedges Cup before he takes up his new appointment next month. Middlesex are expected to appoint Andrew Strauss, the current vice-captain, as his successor.

Angus Fraser's first article will appear in the sports section a week on Saturday