Warne announces retirement

Australian cricketing legend Shane Warne has announced his retirement from cricket. A satisfied man, he fronted up to the media with a smile on his face and a gleam in his eye.

There were no tears, no emotional goodbyes, just a calm and collected Warne, who recognised it was his time.

“I’m going to announce my retirement from international cricket, domestic cricket, Victoria and St Kilda as well,” Warne told a packed MCG press conference.

“I sit here today a very happy man. It’s been on my chest for a while. I probably would have retired at the end of 2005 Ashes series if we had won, but it wasn’t to be.”

“I feel like I’m still bowling well enough to keep playing. I think I’ve earned that right to go out on my own terms.”

He spoke of the 2005 Ashes loss and his desire to rectify the situation, was the only thing keeping him on the field.

“Had we won that series in England, I would probably have retired after that,” he revealed.

“I just had that desire to help get the urn back, and the team has always come first.”

“I saw how much that loss hurt and it became a mission for the team to get the urn back.”

Warne was adamant that his departure would not leave a wide open gap in the Australian side.

“We’re very lucky that first-class cricket in Australia is very strong and we have best first-class cricket system in the world,” he said.

He confirmed that he will honour his Hampshire contract. But for life after cricket he has no idea. When asked if he would ever think about an international comeback he said: “No”

“I’ll sit back and have a few beers and a couple of smokes and see what the future holds,” he said.

He thanked his ex-wife Simone who he called his ‘rock’ and best friend at times. He spoke of how they were still good friends and even living together in the same house despite being divorced.

At the end of the day, Warne knew it was time to hang up the boots.

“A lot of people said ‘You’ll know when your time’s up, you’ll know when your time’s right’.”

“I sort of doubted that, I didn’t really understand what they meant.”

“I sit here in front of you today and I know exactly what they mean.”

Warne, however stressed that it was a happy occasion, not a sad one. A time to celebrate his ‘ride’ through international cricket. But he also acknowledge that the job was not yet done.

“We want to come out in Melbourne and win the Test match,” he said.

Warne noted that the second Ashes Test in Adelaide this year and the famous 1992 come from behind win against Sri Lanka in Colombo as his favourite moments in international cricket.

The 1996 World Cup loss to Sri Lanka together with losing the 92/93 series against the West Indies were his worst cricketing memories.

He spoke of the greatest batsmen he’d played against; Brain Lara, Sachin Tendulkar and Darren Lehmann, the latter who he described as the best player of spin he had ever seen.

Warne reiterated that he had absolutely no regrets and he could not ask for his career to go any better that it did.

“I sit here today with every single trophy in the Cricket Australia cabinet. I retire a very happy man.”