Australia's McGrath announces retirement

SYDNEY, Dec 23 (Reuters) Australia fast bowler Glenn McGrath today said he would retire from all forms of cricket after next year's World Cup.

McGrath ended days of speculation about his future when he announced he would join Shane Warne by ending his test career in next month's final Ashes test against England in Sydney.

But McGrath said he would continue playing one-day internationals for another four months before retiring altogether after the World Cup, to be held in the West Indies in March and April.

''It's probably a perfect or fitting ending,'' McGrath told a news conference in Melbourne.

McGrath, 36, is the world's most successful fast bowler, capturing 555 test wickets in 122 matches, and 342 one-day international wickets in 230 games.

The lanky paceman has been tormenting the world's best batsmen for over a decade with his unerring accuracy but rumours have been rife that he was about to quit.

He has struggled with niggling injuries for the past three seasons and took eight months off this year to look after his children while his wife Jane was undergoing treatment for cancer.

McGrath made his comeback in September, helping Australia win the Champions Trophy for the first time, then regain the Ashes they lost to England last year, fuelling speculation he would follow Warne by bowing out at the top.

''It's only been the last few days that I've really thought about it,'' McGrath said.

McGrath is third on the all-time list of test wicket-takers, behind Warne and Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, and is the third member of Australia's all-conquering team to announce their retirement this month.

Middle-order batsmen Damien Martyn retired suddenly after the second test in Adelaide and Warne announced on Thursday he was quitting after the Sydney test.

REUTERS RL PM0825