Wade set to retire from red-ball format ahead of T20 WC 2024

Australia wicketkeeper-batter Matthew Wade announced the decision to retire from the longest format ahead of the Marsh Sheffield Shield final.

Australia wicketkeeper-batter Matthew Wade announced the decision to retire from the longest format ahead of the Marsh Sheffield Shield final. Matthew Wade, the Australia wicketkeeper-batter, announced his decision to retire from red-ball cricket.

Wade, who postponed his arrival at the Indian Premier League (IPL) to participate in the Shield final with his home team Tasmania, informed his state teammates about his choice before the clash 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 as quoted by the ICC official website.

Wade will continue to play the white-ball format, leaving the door open to represent Australia in the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup in June in the West Indies and USA. The keeper-batter was named stand-in skipper during the recent New Zealand series for the final T20I in Mitch Marsh's absence and led in the five-match T20I series against India last year after their Cricket World Cup triumph.

After winning the New Zealand T20I series 3-0, Wade expressed his excitement to be part of 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 part of Australia's squad that lifted the T20 World Cup in 2021, putting in a Player of the Match in the semi-final against Pakistan where he smashed 41* off 17 balls to take his side to the final. Wade debuted for Australia in Tests in 2012, appearing in 36 matches between 2012 and 2021, scoring 1613 runs that included four hundreds.

"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," the 36-year-old added. "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," the wicketkeeper-batter concluded. (ANI)

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