Leicestershire’s senior seamer Chris Wright will retire once the 2025 summer is done, the 40-year-old confirming the decision a day after promotion to Division One was sealed – the county’s first top-flight appearance since 2003.
The right-armer, who first appeared for Middlesex before longer stops at Essex and Warwickshire, sits on 587 first-class wickets from 214 matches. Two more months with the red ball give him a realistic chance of nudging 600, a landmark he admits would be “a nice round number, nothing more”. Add in his white-ball work and the tally moves beyond 780 across formats.
Warwickshire fans will remember the golden stretch. Picked up on loan late in 2011, Wright combined with Keith Barker to rattle batsmen all summer and finished 2012 with 62 Championship wickets – the Bears lifted the title, he collected his county cap and his career found fresh purpose. Subsequent T20 Blast and One-Day Cup medals in 2014 and 2016 underlined the move’s success; 325 wickets in all left a sizeable Edgbaston footprint.
There have, he knows, been bumps. Last year Wright missed the first half of the season after a positive test for ostarine, the ECB handing down a nine-month ban later back-dated to October 2023. He returned in July 2024, apologised, then rolled into this summer determined to make a difference with the new ball for Leicestershire.
“When I moved to Leicestershire in 2019, my goal was clear – to help the club return to first division cricket. Now that this has finally been achieved, and having celebrated my 40th birthday, it feels like the perfect time to announce that I will be retiring at the end of the current season.
“Becoming a professional cricketer was a dream that began when I watched my dad play club cricket and joined him on trips to see Hampshire at their old county ground, Northlands Road. To have lived that dream for so many years has been the greatest privilege.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the support I’ve had throughout my career – from the coaches who guided me at every stage, to the team-mates who made every day memorable. Most of all, I want to thank my family and my partner Carly, whose selflessness and encouragement have allowed me to chase my goals for the past two decades.
“I’ll cherish the trophies and the wins, but it’s the daily moments with team-mates – the laughter, the challenges, and the friendships – that mean the most. Now it’s time to give back to the game I love, helping the next generation of players achieve their own ambitions! Forever grateful!”
Leicestershire head coach Alfonso Thomas called Wright “a calm presence and a sounding board for every young bowler in the dressing-room”, while director of cricket Claude Henderson credited him for “setting standards that dragged us towards Division One”. Both insist the seamer will have a role in mentoring once the spikes are shelved.
For now, Wright’s focus is simple: finish the season, pocket a few more wickets and enjoy one last lap with the Foxes.
