Australian seamer John Hastings retires due to lung condition
Australia bowler quits after illness which caused him to cough up blood every time he bowled
Tuesday 13 November 2018 16:46, UK
Former Australia seamer John Hastings has retired from cricket with the lung condition that caused him to cough up blood every time he bowled.
Doctors informed the 33-year-old, who played one Test, 29 ODIs and nine T20Is for Australia, that they could not cure his illness.
Hastings, who featured in county cricket in England for Durham and Worcestershire, made his final international appearance against New Zealand at Edgbaston in 2017 during the ICC Champions Trophy.
Hastings, told the Sydney Morning Herald: "There was just a lot of grey area surrounding long-term health, whether it was causing any damage, and if there was any potential to have a fatal bleed on the field.
"They just really couldn't say yes or no. And I wasn't happy with that.
"It was a pretty tough little period, the last five or six months, but I've come to terms with it now, and I'm pretty comfortable with where it's all at."
Hastings had moved to the Sydney Sixers for the 2018-19 Big Bash League after seven years at Melbourne Stars.
"I would have loved a Big Bash title. That would have been unbelievable because I think it's an amazing competition," he added. "We had our chances with the Stars throughout the years. [But] it wasn't to be."
Hastings' T20 experiences included spells in the Indian Premier League with Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders.
