Cricket has a way of drawing people back to the sport, even after they\u2019ve built a career elsewhere. One such story involves former England football goalkeeper Nigel Martyn, who is now close to earning a place in England\u2019s Over-60s cricket setup\u2014turning a lifelong interest in the game into a fresh competitive chapter.<\/p>\n
Martyn\u2019s athletic journey is rooted in a multi-decade spell across professional football. He featured in 23 matches for the England men\u2019s football team between 1992 and 2002, and later brought his playing career to an end in 2006 across all forms of competitive football.<\/p>\n
Although he had been a cricket admirer since childhood, he initially pursued football as his profession. As a goalkeeper, he developed a long career that lasted 20 years, representing clubs including Bristol Rovers, Crystal Palace, Leeds and Everton. Across his league career, he made 666 appearances.<\/p>\n
After retirement, he returned to cricket and is now edging toward selection for England\u2019s Over-60s side.<\/p>\n
Speaking about his switch back to cricket, Martyn explained that his professional football commitments initially prevented him from playing cricket during the summer. He also recalled the injury that shaped his early retirement from the sport.<\/p>\n
Martyn is currently in the second tier of England\u2019s Over-60s programme. At 59 years old, he will turn 60 later this year in August, which will make him eligible to represent the main Over-60s side. He has been sharing his experience of training and playing alongside the B group.<\/p>\n
Reflecting on the cricket he\u2019s been seeing, Martyn highlighted how quickly the competition ramps up as well as the physical demands of the game.<\/p>\n
The Over-60s Cricket World Cup is set to begin a few days before Martyn turns 60 and is eligible to represent the main team. Despite missing out on earlier opportunities\u2014he was part of England\u2019s Over-60s football World Cup squads in 1998 and 2002 without appearing in games\u2014he said he is not discouraged and remains focused on the wicketkeeper\u2019s role.<\/p>\n
Martyn revealed that he trained with the two wicketkeepers selected for the tournament, describing them as excellent. He suggested that the presence of strong contenders is what keeps him pushing forward.<\/p>\n
Cricket has a way of drawing people back to the sport, even after they\u2019ve built a career elsewhere. One such story involves former England football…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":9090,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Nigel Martyn Targets England Over-60s Cricket Spot in IPL News","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Former England keeper Nigel Martyn wants a spot in England\u2019s Over-60s cricket setup, reigniting his passion for the game after a football career.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9091","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n