Hampshire and England Fast Bowler John Turner Retires from Professional Cricket Aged 25

Hampshire and England fast bowler John Turner has retired from professional cricket aged 25 after persistent injury struggles. Turner played , but hadn't played professional cricket since June 2025 due to a stress fracture in his back. He held an ECB development contract until late last year, and signed a deal with Hampshire until the end of 2027 less than a year ago. In a statement, : “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. “I have, however, decided to retire from the game, and as you can imagine, this has been one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make. 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 moved to the UK from South Africa in 2021, and made his debut for Hampshire in the One Day Cup later that year. His first professional wicket was Alastair Cook, and finished the season as Hampshire's joing second-highest wicket-taker in the One Day Cup. He took a five-wicket-haul on first-class debut against a Sri Lanka development XI, and featured in six County Championship matches. In early 2025, he went on loan to Lancashire before being sidelined with injury. However, . He took 21 wickets at an average of 11.76 in the 2023 T20 Blast, and earned his first England call-up months later. He also played for Trent Rockets in The Hundred, playing five matches and taking six wickets. Giles White, director of cricket at Hampshire, 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 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. “He gave everything for the club and for England, and whilst we are saddened that he has called time on his playing career, we wish him all the best in his next chapter, and we will look forward to welcoming him back in the future.”