Wednesday 9 September 2015 08:18, UK
Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has announced his retirement from international and first-class cricket, following Michael Clarke, Shane Watson and Chris Rogers in stepping down in the wake of the Ashes series defeat.
The 37-year-old, who retired from one-day cricket after Australia's World Cup triumph earlier this year, kept wicket in 66 Tests, scoring 3,266 runs at an average of 32.98 and taking 262 catches with eight stumpings.
"I've had an outstanding career, I've enjoyed every minute, and in the end the decision was not a hard one," said Haddin, who played 17 seasons of state cricket for New South Wales.
"Once you've 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've had a great run and I couldn't be happier with the way I'm leaving the game."
An assured pair of hands behind the stumps, Haddin's runs were often extremely valuable to his country, coming in counter-attacking tail-end partnerships on several occasions.
Haddin, renowned as a talkative, tough competitor, played his last match in the opening Test of the recently-concluded Ashes series against England in July.
During that match in Cardiff, he dropped Joe Root second ball before England's man-of-the-match went on to score 134 in the first innings.
Haddin missed the second Test at Lord's for family reasons and failed to regain his place in the side from Peter Nevill for the remainder of the series, which England won 3-2.
"I came to the realisation, probably after Lord's, that I'd lost that fight to continue," he said.
"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."
With Adam Gilchrist his predecessor, Haddin had to wait until he was 30 until he played his first Test against West Indies in 2008.
He lost his place in the side in 2012 when he stood down from the tour of West Indies for personal reasons but returned in early 2013.
Appointed vice-captain for the home Ashes series against England, he surpassed 50 in six of his eight innings and took 22 catches as Australia won back the urn with a 5-0 sweep.
"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."
I think we can cover all the retirements, we've got a great leader in Steve Smith.
Haddin, who will continue to play some domestic Twenty20 cricket, said he had confidence Australia's Test future is bright despite the loss of so many experienced players.
He said: "It's an exciting time, I think we can cover all the retirements, we've got a great leader in Steve Smith. He's going to be a great leader for a long period of time. Australian cricket is always healthy."
A reminder of his fiercely partisan nature came when he paid tribute to his former coaches at New South Wales, Steve Rixon and Trevor Bayliss.
He said: "This is going to hurt. Trevor's the England coach now and after what he did to us I don't really want to talk about him too much."
Watch the fourth ODI between England and Australia live on Sky Sports 2 from 10am on Friday.
