Brad Haddin retires from international cricket after an 'outstanding career'

Sydney, Sep 9: Australia's wicketkeeper-batsman Brad Haddin today announced his retirement from international cricket. The 37-year-old, however, will continue playing Twenty20s in the Big Bash League (BBL) for Sydney Sixers.

'Haddin is heart and soul of team'

Haddin, who was part of the Australian Test squad that lost 2-3 to England in the Ashes series recently, had retired from ODIs after winning the World Cup at home earlier this year. He played 126 ODIs and 34 T20Is.

"I have had an outstanding career. I have enjoyed every minute and in the end the decision was not a hard one," Haddin told reporters at a press conference at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Wednesday (September 9).

"Once you have lost that will to get up and do the things you need to do to play for Australia, it's time to walk away. I have had a great run and I couldn't be happier with the way I'm leaving the game," he added.

The right-handed Haddin returned home to be with his sick daughter during the Ashes tour (2nd Test at Lord's) in England but could not win back his place for the remaining 3 Tests. Australia handed Test debut to stumper Peter Nevill at Lord's and he continued to play till the end of the series. Haddin left the tour early, before the start of the 5th Test.

"I came to the realisation, probably after Lord's, that I had lost that fight to continue. I was all about trying to make myself the best cricketer I could be every time I walked out on the training paddock and I probably lost that hunger from there," he said.

In 2013, Haddin's batting was crucial as Australia whitewashed England 5-0 in the Ashes at home. He described that win as "amazing".

"The 5-0 one was an amazing series, not just the cricket but the whole theatre around the country, how everyone embraced that campaign and the way we were playing," he said.

"But the highlight for me is the support you get in the good and the bad. The support me and my family have had over the last couple of years from the Australian public is amazing."

Haddin had to wait until he was 30 to make his Test debut after the retirement of Adam Gilchrist and quickly established himself as a tenacious batsman and gloveman, playing 66 Tests (3,266 runs; 4 100s; 262 catches; 8 stumpings). He played his 1st Test against West Indies in 2008.

Only Ian Healy, Gilchrist and current chairman of selectors Rod Marsh played more Tests for Australia as a wicket-keeper.

And only Gilchrist and Haddin averaged above 30 with the bat amongs Australian wicketkeepers who played more than a dozen Tests.

Brad Haddin career highlights

# From Queanbeyan, Haddin debuted with the short-lived Canberra Comets in the state one-day competition aged 20, playing nine matches over two seasons with an average of 41 including a century.

# One of the most productive and explosive run-scorers in domestic cricket, Haddin played nine one-day internationals as a specialist batsman alongside wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist before Gilchrist retired in 2008.

# Haddin topped the series batting averages in Australia's 2013-14 whitewash of England with 493 runs at 61.63, passing 50 six times and scoring a century.

# Only three Australian wicket-keepers played more Tests than Haddin's 66: Ian Healy (119), Adam Gilchrist (96), Rod Marsh (96).

# Haddin's 270 dismissals as a wicket-keeper sits behind only Gilchrist (416), Healy (395) and Marsh (355) for Australia.

# Only Gilchrist (5570 at 47.61), Healy (4356 at 27.40) and Marsh (3633 at 26.52) scored more runs than Haddin's 3266 at 32.99 as an Australian wicket-keeper.

# Haddin's Test batting average of 32.99 is bettered only by Gilchrist (47.61) amongst Australian wicket-keepers who have played more than a dozen Tests.

# He was vice-captain of Australia's Test team during much of the past two years.

Haddin's domestic achievements

# Holds the New South Wales (NSW) games record of 195 matches across all formats jointly with Greg Matthews.

# By far the most prolific NSW first class wicket-keeper, scoring 5829 runs at 41.94

# His 96 First Class matches are ninth on the all-time list for NSW

# His 316 first class dismissals for NSW are second to Phil Emery's 378

# Haddin is 11th on the NSW list of first class run scorers with 5829 runs at 41.94 including 11 centuries.

# He is the most prolific batsman and wicket-keeper in Australian domestic one-day cricket with 3010 runs in 94 matches at 34.60 including six centuries. He also claimed 164 dismissals

# Haddin captained NSW in 20 Sheffield Shield matches for nine wins, six losses and five draws and 14 one-day games for six wins and eight losses.

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