John Turner, the Hampshire fast bowler who played four internationals for England in 2024, has announced a shock retirement from the professional game at the age of 25.

Turner, who was born in Johannesburg, had two years left to run on his Hampshire contract and held an ECB development contract until late last year. He played two ODIs and two T20Is when England toured West Indies in late 2024, taking three wickets, and had developed an impressive record across domestic formats.

He had not played any cricket since last June due to a back stress fracture, and said his injury record had informed the difficult call to quit professional cricket. He is an economics and finance graduate from the University of Exeter, and said this was the “right time to pursue my next challenge” in life.

“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 said in a statement.

“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.

“The five years I have been able to call myself a professional cricketer for Hampshire have been the greatest five years possible. From the day I joined the club in pursuit of a dream, everyone was extremely welcoming, and this never changed.

“The opportunity and belief the club showed in me are something I could never thank them enough for. I have experienced more over the last few years than I could ever imagine, and none of that would be possible without the support from everyone at the club.”

Turner studied at Hilton College, a prestigious school in South Africa, but moved to the UK for university thanks to his British passport, courtesy of his English mother. He joined Hampshire in 2021 after a successful trial and was first picked for an England squad in 2023, having impressed in the Hundred.

He struggled to break into Hampshire’s County Championship side and only played seven first-class matches for them, plus three on loan at Lancashire in early 2025 before injuries hit again.

Giles White, Hampshire’s director of cricket, 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.”