The 36-year old Matthew Wade, Australia’s Wicketkeeper Batsmen has publicly declared his retirement from international cricket, ending his marvellous career across all formats with Australia.
After Australia’s T20 World Cup campaign in June, Wade indicated about his retirement, now he will join coaching department.
As the T20 series between Australia and Pakistan is starting next month, Wade will start his new journey as a coach, training young squad with his experience and strategies under head coach Andre Borovec, as Andrew McDonald and his team is in practice session for the upcoming Test series against India.
Wade’s decision to retire from international cricket was a gradual process, having already stepped away from red-ball format in March after guiding Tasmania to the Sheffield Shield final. After that, his exclusion from recent tours indicated a conclusion to his tenure with the national team, marking the end of an era in which he has been a significant player for Australia.
Reflecting on his career, Wade stated that “My international retirement and coaching has been a constant conversation with George [Bailey] and Andrew [McDonald] over the past six months. Coaching has been on my radar over the last few years, and thankfully some great opportunities have come my way, for which I am very grateful and excited.”
He further said, “I also thank my family, mum, dad and sisters for the countless hours they put in over the years getting me to games and training.”
“Lastly to Julia and the kids. I can’t thank them enough for the sacrifices they have made for me to continue to pursue my dreams. No words can explain how grateful I am to them, none of this would have happened without their support.”
Wade’s international tenure consists of 36 Tests, 97 ODIs, and 92 T20Is from 2011 to 2024. He ended with five centuries, four of which includes in Test cricket, making total of 4,682 runs across all formats.
In T20 World Cup 2021, he played an important role in Australia’s victory, especially with his game-winning 41 off 17 balls against Pakistan in the semi-final, establishing him as one of the most reliable finishers in the game. earning him accolades
Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley praised Wade’s career and contributions:
“Congratulations to Matthew on what has been a wonderful international career during which his skill and versatility has made him an outstanding performer across all formats. I’m delighted he will add to his massive contribution by coaching the next generation of stars and also continuing to light up the Big Bash with the Hobart Hurricanes.”
Matthew was a much-loved teammate in Australian teams across all formats over the past 13 years,” said Cricket Australia’s Ben Oliver.
“His resilience and adaptability were a feature throughout his career, and he should be incredibly proud of the impact that he had at international level.”
While Wade’s international career has ended, he will continue to play in the Big Bash League with the Hobart Hurricanes and other franchise leagues.
