John Turner retires from Hampshire and England duty at age 25
John Turner, the Hampshire and England fast bowler, announced his retirement from cricket on 6 August 2026 because of persistent injuries. The 25-year-old has not played for his county since last summer after suffering a stress fracture in his back.
Born in South Africa, Turner represented England in two one-day internationals and two T20 matches at the end of 2024 during their tour of the West Indies. He had been named in England's T20 squad the previous year for the series against New Zealand but was then ruled out through injury.
"This has been one of the hardest decisions I've had to make," Turner said. "The stress fracture, which has sidelined me for over a year, as well as my injury record, naturally made me think of my future both as a cricketer and away from the game, and subsequently, I decided now was the right time to pursue my next challenge."
Turner made his Hampshire debut in 2021 and claimed former England captain Alastair Cook as his first wicket in a One-Day Cup match. In total he played 51 matches for Hampshire across all formats, taking 97 wickets.
During the T20 Blast in 2023 he claimed 21 wickets at an average of 11.76 and an economy of 6.67 — stats that earned him his first England call-up, months after playing for England Lions in New Zealand. He also played for Trent Rockets in The Hundred and, alongside cricket, completed his studies for an economics degree.
Hampshire director of cricket Giles White said: "John is an exceptionally talented player, and all of Hampshire Cricket is saddened that his journey in the professional game has come to an end," he said. "He has played a huge part in a successful period in Hampshire's history over the past five years, reaching four T20 Finals Days, challenging at the top of Division One in the County Championship, and making the final of the One-Day Cup twice."
"It was always my dream to play professional and international cricket, and doing so for Hampshire and England has been nothing short of living out those same childhood dreams," Turner added.
