BENGALURU: All-rounder Stuart Binny on Monday retired from all forms of cricket, bringing the curtain down on a career spanning almost 18 years.
The 37-year-old, who made his debut for Karnataka in 2003, featured in 23 matches for India - six Tests, 14 ODIs and three T20Is.
Binny played most of his domestic cricket for his home state before moving to Nagaland for two seasons. He was also part of the now defunct Indian Cricket League (ICL).
A medium-pacer who used swing as his main weapon, Binny was an integral part of the golden era of Karnataka cricket. He played an influential role in Karnataka’s 2013-14 Ranji Trophy title triumph, supplementing 443 runs with 14 wickets.
His ultimate moment in the sun came against Bangladesh when he returned 6 for 4 in the second ODI in Mirpur in June 2014, the best figures by an Indian in the 50-over format.
Son of 1983 World Cup hero Roger Binny, Stuart celebrated his Test debut against England at Trent Bridge in July 2014 with a match-saving 78 in the second innings.
"My decision (to retire) was influenced by the way things have panned out over the last year-and-a-half," Binny told TOI. "You must continuously play some form of cricket throughout the year to go out and perform. Once I felt my standards were dropping in terms of the number of matches played, practice schedules and bio-bubbles, I thought it did not make sense to hang around for another year in these uncertain times. I thought it was better I left on a high."
Binny is eyeing a career in coaching. "I have already started to coach and I’m doing my Level 2 at the National Cricket Academy. I'm looking at getting into coaching and training all-rounders and seam bowlers."
A specific part of the country is on his coaching radar. "I've spent the last two years in the North-East trying to understand the system," he explained. "There is a lot of talent but no exposure. They don't know how to go about the process. My main aim will be to give back to cricket in that region because the players there want to work with me. I'm definitely going back to help them play competitive cricket."
Binny's cricketing journey has been chequered. Since his debut against Tamil Nadu in Bengaluru, he struggled to cement his place in the state squad. The frustration led him to the rebel ICL in 2007, but two seasons on, he accepted the BCCI's amnesty offer and worked his way back into the Karnataka squad, leading the state side a few years later.
"The time away made me realise what Karnataka cricket meant to me. Leaving the state for a few years and then returning and fighting for my place in the team made me enjoy my cricket more," Binny said, referring to his ICL stint. "I started to put in more effort into my game. I took on small goals and worked on them every week. I think it changed me as a person and cricketer."
Binny admitted he had felt the weight of expectations at the start of his career. "It has been a journey full of ups and downs. The hardest part of my junior cricket days was being my father's son. It was tough because there were always comparisons and expectations. The pressure waned once I broke into the India U-19 team. Then, I knew I had the game and I could prove people wrong."
Binny rates receiving the Test cap from MS Dhoni as the highlight of his international career but clearly, leading Karnataka means a lot too.
"Captaining Karnataka was a very special phase in my career because it came after playing in the ICL and losing my spot in the team. I had to go back to club cricket and local tournaments and score runs to earn my place back. After that, I performed well in my comeback season and led Karnataka the following season."
