A slow recovering injury has forced batsman Allen Richardson to withdraw from the national training squad, effectively ending his international career.

Richardson, 41, was a surprise inclusion in the recent training squad which is preparing for a tournament next month in Canada and then the Red Stripe Bowl in the Caribbean at the end of the season. But the squad's oldest player will not be able to fulfill the obligation because of a finger injury.

The decision to withdraw was only made on Tuesday night after long consideration, the day before he was to train with the squad for the first time.

"It was flattering that I could make the squad, but the only reason I will not accept the offer is that, while I'm playing well, I'm not 100 per cent fit,'' said Richardson.

"Even now the finger hasn't healed since we played St. George's when I took a catch off `Billy Joe' (Phillip Pitcher).'' Richardson says carrying an injury into international competition would not be fair to the team and the country.

"You can get away with it at this level but not at that level,'' said the St.

David's player, who was looking forward to taking on the quick bowlers in the West Indies.

Fifteen years after his Cup Match career ended prematurely, Richardson is still enjoying his cricket and was looking forward to being involved in the national set-up again for the first time since he represented the country in the 1994 ICC Trophy in Kenya.

"I think I'm enjoying the game a lot more now, simply because of the experience I've gained over the years,'' he stated. "It's so much more enjoyable now, even though I'm still competitive and like to win.'' Two years ago Richardson spoke of retirement, but the emergence of some bright talent at St. David's like Chris Foggo, OJ Pitcher, Arthur Pitcher Jr, Landro Minors and Angelo Cannonier has added a new dimension to his career.

Interestingly, Richardson played with their fathers -- Vernon Foggo, Oliver Pitcher, Arthur Pitcher and George Cannonier -- and is now helping develop the next generation of players at the club.

"With the resurgence of youth cricket the BCBC is doing a good job,'' said Richardson.

Clearly St. David's welcome Richardson's wisdom, which is why he can't agree with the way another veteran player, Noel Gibbons, was forced out at both Bailey's Bay and with St. George's in Cup Match.

"What should be the only criteria is that you can still contribute,'' Richardson said.

"In my cricket career I don't look at age but my ability to play. With me I don't even think about age.

"I feel very hurt in Noel's case because he gave Bailey's Bay his entire cricketing life and St. George's over 20 years in Cup Match. I thought the way his career ended was very distasteful.

"It doesn't mean he hasn't had his faults as well, but to me he would easily rank in the top five all-rounders in this Island.'' Richardson's own Cup Match career was brief -- ending in 1985 -- as the promising opening partnership between him and Wendell Smith was a brief one.

He admits the two of them could easily have rewritten the record books together.

While Smith did do it in his own right by becoming the first player to score 1,000 runs in the Classic, Richardson biggest achievement was winning the MVP award in 1983, the year St. George's won the cup under Clevie Wade's captaincy.