End of an Innings: Aaron Beard on His Surprising Retirement from Cricket at 26 Years-Old

At the end of the season, Aaron Beard shocked many by announcing his retirement from professional cricket. He explains the reasons behind the hardest decision of his life and what’s to come next...

(Photo courtesy of Essex County Cricket Club)

For the past 19-years Aaron Beard has been dedicated to Essex County Cricket Club and his retirement at the age of 26 marks an end of an era for a club hero. Chelmsford-born, Beard made his first-class debut for his boyhood county at 18 years old against Sri Lanka. He immediately made his mark, taking wickets in both of his opening overs. But before this, Beard was introduced to the professional cricket scene in remarkable fashion. In 2013, at just 15 years old, he was a substitute fielder for Essex during an Ashes warm-up match against England, playing amongst international legends such as Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Stuart Broad and James Anderson.

Beard’s journey with Essex began at the age of eight and his decision to retire surprised many fans, He reflects on one of the hardest decisions of his life:

“It was a gradual decision as I kept finding parts in the season where I wasn’t enjoying it as much as I used to because I put too much pressure on myself to do well. It finally clicked towards the end of the season when I had conversations with those important to me. After these conversations I felt a sense of relief and I was a lot happier that I discussed my future with them.”

“Everyone close to me has been amazing with the support and help through the big transition. It was one of the hardest decisions of my life so far, and having everyone around me made it just a little bit easier."

Beard’s rise through the ranks saw him go from the age groups and academy, through to the second team then eventually the England youth setups and the Essex first team. When recalling the peak moments of his career, Beard says:

“The most memorable moment was my debut for Essex – that was always a dream of mine growing up. Playing for England under 19s was a special time too.”

Beard was an integral part of Essex’s historic 2019 double winning squad, claiming both the Division One County Championship and Vitality Blast T20 titles - the first team to ever achieve such a feat. He recalls:

“Another favourite memory I’m taking away from cricket will be the year we done the double. What we achieved that year was nothing short of incredible, it still hasn’t sunk in properly.”

While sport can create unforgettable moments and memories, it also brings its fair share of challenges. For Beard, injuries were a constant hurdle throughout his career, and he’d find himself sidelined due to side strains, hamstring issues or metatarsal injuries. Reflecting back on these tough periods, he says:

“The biggest one [challenge] was at the start of my career where I played one game in 18 months because of a double stress fracture in my Lumbar spine.”

“The injury required two operations, and I was just 15 and 17 at the time. I didn’t know if I had a future career in cricket but luckily Essex and England offered full rehabilitation support which I will be forever grateful for.”

Looking ahead, Beard has his sights on passing his knowledge and experience of the professional game to the younger, current and next generation of cricketers. He’s taken up the role of a coach in the Club Cricket Academy, based in Essex, and fans can still expect to see him around the Essex County Ground during the season.

 (Photo courtesy of Cricket Club Academy)

When asked on how he wanted to be remembered by fans and teammates, he says:

“I always wanted to play an entertaining brand of cricket and wanted to be the person to win us the game. I want people to remember me as a good person, who’d help others and do anything I could to win a game of cricket for Essex.”

Q&A with Aaron Beard:

Q: What inspired you to play? Who were your role models?

A: From a young age I watched my dad and uncle and I would take a little cricket set with me and play in the nets all day. I'd also chase the ball around the boundary and throw it back for the team who was fielding.

My dad was my main coach - he'd spend a lot of time throwing balls at me when I was batting and throwing them back to me when I was bowling. We'd often go over to the park to do fielding practice and I especially loved it when the grass was wet so I could practice my sliding and diving! (Sorry mum for all the washing).

Role models within the game when I was growing up were Freddie Flintoff and Ryan Ten Doeschate. They played cricket in a way that I wanted to play it.

Q: What would you tell your 16 year-old self knowing what you know now?

A: I would say to always give 100% in whatever you do, so you know you've fulfilled your expectations and given yourself the best chance to succeed.

Focus on cricket but still enjoy your hobbies outside of cricket and try and find something you enjoy doing for when your career comes to an end, whenever that may be.

Q: Retiring is a big decision and for you was a major crossroad in your life. How has your support network helped you? How have the PCA supported you during this?

A: Through the several years of playing cricket, I have been fortunate enough to meet some very kind people who always told me if I wanted to do work experience with them or just to see how they work - the door is always open. Some even offered me a job!

Now being in this situation, it's time to find out what's in store and for me to discover what I'm interested in. I am going to give things a go and see what comes out of it.

The PCA [Professional Cricketers' Association] have been a huge help in my transition and looking back I should have used them more throughout my career as they are extremely helpful.

Q: What advice would you give to young players and the ones you'll be coaching in the future?

A: Enjoyment is the main reason why people play cricket and should always be. I stopped enjoying it because I put way too much pressure on myself to do well and tried harder and harder to get there because of it. If you enjoy the game, the game will look after you.

It's so good to see people I'm coaching now do the training sessions with a smile on their face and more often than not they will be performing well whilst doing it.

My mantra with coaching is simply to strengthen your strengths and work on your weaknesses, don't focus on the negatives too much - focus on what you're best at!

(Photo courtesy of the PCA)