Matthew Wade declares retirement from Test cricket before the Marsh Sheffield Shield final. The Australia wicketkeeper-batsman decided to step away from red-ball cricket, opting to participate in the Shield final with his home team Tasmania instead of joining the Indian Premier League (IPL) immediately.
He shared his decision with his state teammates ahead of the match against South Australia.
“I would like to thank my family, my wife Julia, and kids Winter, Goldie, and Duke, for the sacrifices they have made throughout my career, as I travelled Australia and the world as a red-ball cricketer,” Wade said in a statement.
Wade will maintain his presence in the limited-overs format, keeping the opportunity alive to feature for Australia in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup scheduled for June in the West Indies and USA.
Matthew Wade and his teammates recall his exceptional performance in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup semi-final last year
The wicketkeeper-batsman served as the stand-in captain during the recent New Zealand series, leading in the final T20I in Mitch Marsh’s absence. He also captained in the five-match T20I series against India last year following their Cricket World Cup victory.
Following the 3-0 victory in the New Zealand T20I series, Wade expressed his enthusiasm about being included in the T20 World Cup squad.
“It’s an exciting time to be in the T20 squad, and I can’t wait to get started at the World Cup, to be honest,” Wade said.
The 36-year-old was a member of Australia’s team that won the T20 World Cup in 2021. He delivered a Player of the Match performance in the semi-final against Pakistan, scoring an unbeaten 41 runs off 17 balls to lead his team to the final.
Wade made his Test debut for Australia in 2012 and played 36 matches from 2012 to 2021. During this period, he accumulated 1613 runs, which featured four centuries.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenges that the long-form game provides, and although I will continue to play white ball cricket, wearing the Baggy Green while playing for my country remains a highlight of my career.”
“Not playing the longer format of the game will give me an opportunity to get stronger, get in the gym a bit more and have some longevity in that format.”
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