Scotland great Calum MacLeod announced his retirement from international cricket during the week.

The 33-year-old won 229 caps during an inspired 15-year career for the Saltires, including five World Cups, as well as an U19 World Cup.

He played in 88 One Day Internationals scoring 3,026 runs and taking 11 wickets.

MacLeod made ten centuries, including an incredible 140 not out versus England in the memorable win at The Grange, in 2018.

“Having announced my retirement to the team a few days ago, I’m sitting here thinking back to what inspired me in the first place and that would be the Scotland versus Australia game at the 1999 World Cup," said MacLeod.

“I remember watching that and thinking ‘that is what I want to do’ and it lit a fire inside me to go on and do everything I could to play for Scotland.

“So, to fast forward to now as I step back having played in five World Cups, I think if you’d told me way back then what I’d go on to achieve with my country, I wouldn’t have believed you.

“Finishing after this World Cup in Australia has been tough because we didn’t manage to achieve what we wanted to achieve, but I leave the group with a real sense of hope that, with the right backing and the right opportunities, the current team can really go far and can inspire many.

“There are too many people who have helped me over the years to thank them all personally now, but I’d like to thank all the coaches, all the staff, all the captains, all the players and all the people at Cricket Scotland who have been involved during my time with the national team.

“They have trusted me and they have given me the opportunity and the platform to go out there and perform at the highest level.

“I just want to say thank you to you all and I hope I repaid the faith you showed in me.

“My career with Scotland has been filled with some real highs and a few lows, I feel extremely fortunate to have played for my country 229 times. It was something that I never took for granted and it was a huge honour and a privilege. I hope I have entertained a few people along the way and, ultimately, I feel like I am leaving the team in a better place than when I started this amazing journey.

“So, to everybody that has supported me in any way throughout my time in a Scotland shirt thank you, I simply could not have done it without you.”

Commenting on Calum’s career, Scotland Men’s Head Coach Shane Burger said “I am Incredibly sad to see his career end particularly in the fashion it did with us bowing out of the World Cup in the first round as it would not have been how Calum would have wanted.

“For me personally, Calum leaves a great legacy behind him in not only the runs he scored including ten ODI hundreds, but also his desire to put in performances in the earlier part of his career when he was a bowler and had to transition into a batter. He is an incredibly talented sportsman, a fantastic fielder, a real fighter and someone who would front up when it was required. Those were his characteristics, and he can hold his head really high as he has left Scottish cricket in a better place.

“We wish him all the best in his future career and we know he has all the skills and attributes to be really successful and I know he will continue to impact on many people’s lives. We will miss him but respect his decision and wish him well in his journey.”