-1786164104427.webp)
England’s fast bowler who recently got associated with the team John Turner has already announced his retirement from professional cricket. He retired at the age of 25 and his retirement decision came due to his injuries.
Turner was known as one of the quickest bowlers to come through the county system in recent years but his back injury never fully healed and he had to retire. Here is everything you need to know about John Turner.
Who is John Turner?
John Andrew Turner was born on April 10 2001 in Johannesburg located in South Africa. He is a fast bowler and bowls right-arm fast-medium. Although he has grown up in South Africa, Turner qualified to play for England through his mother, who was born in Zambia to English parents.
John has studied economics and finance at Exeter University while continuing to play professional cricket for Hampshire on the side.
Related Stories
Why Did John Turner Retire at 25?
Turner's decision to retire was mainly caused by a long history of injuries. The major reason as a stress fracture in his back, which he suffered during a Vitality Blast match against Surrey in June 2025.
After that he didn’t play a single competitive match. He tried to recover for over a year, his back never got better enough for him to bowl at a professional level again.
Along with this injury, Turner also missed cricket in the past due to other strains. This continuous pattern of injuries made it very hard for him to build a career in cricket and that is why he decided to retire.
John Turner Career Stats
|
Format
|
Matches
|
Innings
|
Balls
|
Runs
|
Wickets
|
4w
|
5w
|
|
ODIs
|
2
|
2
|
66
|
68
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
|
T20Is
|
2
|
2
|
36
|
64
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
|
FC
|
10
|
14
|
1111
|
634
|
25
|
0
|
1
|
|
List A
|
19
|
19
|
791
|
665
|
37
|
2
|
2
|
|
T20s
|
35
|
34
|
643
|
905
|
48
|
1
|
0
|
John Turner's Cricket Career
Turner came through Hampshire's youth and age-group system before he made his senior debut. Here is a brief overview of his cricket journey:
-
Early cricket career: He grew up playing cricket in South Africa and attended Hilton College. In this college he was coached by Dale Benkenstein.
Development with Hampshire: He made his List A debut for Hampshire in July 2021. In this match he took the wicket of former England captain Alastair Cook with the first ball itself.
Breakthrough for England: His career soared to new heights in the 2023 T20 Blast, where he picked up 21 wickets in just 11 matches.
Selection for England's white-ball squads: His performances earned him a call-up to England's T20I squad against New Zealand in August 2023. However he didn’t play due to an injury
International debut: He finally made his England debut a year later, during the white-ball tour of the West Indies in late 2024.
How Rare Is Retirement at 25 in International Cricket?
Retiring from professional cricket at 25 is very unusual. Most fast bowlers are only entering the peak years of their careers at this age. However, cricket has seen a small number of players retire early. Here are 5 cricketers who retired young:
-
James Taylor (England): He retired at the age of 26 in 2016. Doctors found he had a rare heart problem, and he had to stop playing immediately for his own safety. He had played 7 Tests and 27 ODIs for England before this happened.
-
Craig Kieswetter (England): He retired at 27 in 2015. He was hit in the eye during a county match, and the injury damaged his vision badly.
-
Will Pucovski (Australia): He retired at 27 because he suffered too many concussions during his career. Doctors advised him to stop playing cricket to protect his long-term health.
-
David Lawrence (England): He is a fast bowler who retired at 29 after badly breaking his kneecap while bowling in a match against New Zealand.
-
Beau Casson (Australia): He retired at 28 because of a serious heart condition he had since childhood. He had only played one Test match for Australia before his health forced him to stop.