Moises Henriques has announced his retirement from Australian domestic cricket, ending his remarkable 22-year career with New South Wales and the Sydney Sixers. The announcement was made via Cricket Australia on Wednesday, with the 39-year-old departing as Australia’s most capped domestic cricketer after 420 appearances across all formats.
While his domestic chapter is over, Henriques is not retiring from cricket completely. The former Australia all-rounder will continue to play overseas and is set to represent his native Portugal in the European qualifying route for the 2028 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
In other news, Australia’s best players women’s national The team is likely to miss domestic WNCL competition in 2026–27.
key points
- Moises Henriques has retired from Australian domestic cricket after 22 years.
- The Sydney Sixers captain was not offered a contract for BBL 16.
- Henriques became Australia’s most capped domestic cricketer.
- He will continue to play overseas and represent Portugal in T20 World Cup qualifying.
- Henriques is also associated with Cricket NSW as a Foundation Director.
Why did Moises Henriques decide to end his Australian domestic career?
Moises Henriques had already retired from first-class cricket in 2025 but remains active in white-ball cricket, helping New South Wales win the One-Day Cup last season and captaining the Sydney Sixers in the BBL 15 final.
However, the Sixers decided not to offer their long-serving captain a contract for the upcoming BBL 16 season. This decision, along with his back surgery in February, led him to call time on his Australian domestic career.
Despite receiving interest from rival Big Bash clubs, Henriques said he never seriously considered continuing elsewhere.
“I had interest from other BBL teams, but it didn’t feel right to go anywhere else.”
Instead, he decided to finish his entire Australian domestic career as a one-club player after representing New South Wales and the Sixers.
“After some consideration, I have decided that the time has come to end my BBL career and commitments with NSW… and begin looking forward to the next chapter of my life.”
Although he is stepping away from playing domestically, Moises Henriques will continue to serve Cricket NSW as a Foundation Director, a role he has held since the end of 2025.
The records that made Moises Henriques Australia’s greatest domestic worker
Few players have shaped Australian domestic cricket like Henriques. He retired as Australia’s most capped domestic player, having made 420 appearances across all formats, including 110 first-class matches, 112 List A games and 198 T20Is for New South Wales and the Sydney Sixers.
Notably, the above figures are only from Australia’s domestic circuit, as overall they have played more matches – first-class matches: 131, List A matches: 141 and T20 matches: 301.
His impact on the Big Bash League has been equally significant. Henriques played in all 15 BBL seasons, finishing with a competition-record 154 appearances, while no player has captained a BBL team more times in his 129 matches in charge of the Sixers.
Moises Henriques won 14 major trophies with Cricket NSW teams and three Big Bash League titles. He was also a part of the Sixers team that won the 2012–13 Champions League T20.
With the bat, he signed as the Sydney Sixers’ leading male run-scorer with 3,410 runs, while also contributing 30 wickets and 72 catches for the franchise.
In first-class, List A and T20 cricket, Moises Henriques amassed over 16,000 runs and over 300 wickets, reflecting the consistency that has kept him at the top level for over two decades.
His international career was also good. Henriques represented Australia in all three formats, playing four Tests, 16 ODIs and 24 T20 matches between 2009 and 2021.
“I’ve decided it’s time to call the stumps” – Henriques reflects on 22-year journey
Henriques used his retirement announcement to thank his teammates, coaches and supporters who shaped his career.
“I have been very fortunate to call cricket my job for the last 22 years as a professional athlete.”
He admitted that motivation naturally fluctuated during such a long career, but one thing never changed.
“In 22 years, the motivation or ‘why’ may waver. One thing that never wavered was that the fans and supporters gave me a sense of purpose or the feeling that I could make a positive impact on someone’s day.”
Henriques also revealed what he will miss most after leaving Australian domestic cricket.
“What I’m going to miss is that instant reaction you get when you hit a four, take a wicket or take a catch and the lights of all the fans and the stadium coming after you and the team. It’s a really addictive feeling.”
He also reflected on the personal impact of cricket beyond statistics and trophies. Born in Portugal before moving to Australia as a child, Henriques revealed that sport helped him feel accepted after initially struggling to fit into a new culture.
“I feel very fortunate that cricket has given me the opportunity to feel like I belong to the community.”
Why doesn’t retirement mean the end of Moises Henriques’ playing career?
Although Henriques has retired from Australian domestic cricket, he remains an active professional cricketer.
Having last represented Australia during a T20I against Bangladesh in 2021, he is now eligible to play for Portugal under ICC rules, which allows players to represent an Associate nation after a gap of three years from their last international appearance.
Moises Henriques is expected to play for Portugal in the European regional qualifying tournament for the 2028 T20 World Cup next month, where they will face the Czech Republic, Israel and Greece for a place in the next qualification stage.
He will also continue to play franchise cricket. The experienced all-rounder is set to represent the Glasgow Cosmics in the new six-team European T20 competition starting in August and has confirmed that he will be available for other overseas leagues.
Explaining his decision, Moises Henriques said that representing Portugal was about more than furthering his career.
“The opportunity to grow the sport around the world is perhaps not just my Portuguese heritage, but more importantly the opportunity to grow the sport and the world.”
What did the Sydney Sixers lose after the departure of Moises Henriques?
Following the retirement of Henriques, Sydney Sixers are looking for a new male captain for the first time since BBL 11. Replacing his runs will be challenging, but replacing his leadership may prove even more difficult.
Over more than a decade, Moises Henriques became the face of the Sixers, leading the franchise through one of the most successful periods in BBL history and setting standards that went far beyond on-field performances.
New South Wales captain Jack Edwards appears to be an obvious internal candidate, while experienced Tasmanian skipper Jordan Silk is also among the leadership options available to the franchise.
While Moises Henriques’ 22-year chapter with New South Wales and the Sydney Sixers has come to an end, his playing career is far from over. Portugal are now offering him a rare second international trip, while his domestic legacy as Australia’s most capped player and one of the defining figures of the Big Bash era is already firmly secured.
