World Cup winner Wade retires from international cricket

SYDNEY: Australian World Cup winner Matthew Wade announced his retirement from international cricket on Tuesday and will become an assistant coach with the national team.

The wicketkeeper-batsman played 36 Tests and 189 limited-overs matches for his country, and was a pivotal figure in their T20 World Cup triumph in 2021.

The 36-year-old is now set to be wicketkeeping and fielding coach for the T20 series against Pakistan next month.

“I’m officially retiring,” Wade said, according to Cricket Australia.

“It’s been an ongoing discussion for pretty much every tour or every World Cup that I’ve been on in the last three or four years.”

Wade played for his country for 13 years and filled in as T20 captain between December 2020 and February 2024.

He was part of the Australia team that made an early exit from the T20 World Cup in June.

“If we went into the last World Cup and I managed to get some runs and we won that, then things would look maybe a little different and maybe I’d keep going,” he said.

“It was just kind of an understanding from all of us.”

Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley said: “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.”