Australia's Mike Hussey retires from Test cricket

SYDNEY: Australian veteran Mike Hussey announced Saturday he will retire from Test cricket after next week's third and final match against Sri Lanka in Sydney.

The evergreen Hussey, who continues to flourish at 37, just months younger than Ricky Ponting who called it quits earlier this month, said he wanted to spend more time with his four young children, who are all aged under eight.

"The Sydney Test against Sri Lanka will be my last Test match for Australia and I'm going to retire from international cricket at the end of the Australian summer," he told the Nine Network.

Hussey's retirement will leave a huge hole in Australia's lower batting order ahead of next year's back-to-back Ashes away and home series against England preceded by a tour to India in February-March.

Hussey has scored 19 hundreds in 78 Tests and averages 51.52.

Hussey's recent form has been outstanding and he has been averaging 180.00 after two Tests in the current series against Sri Lanka.

Australia have already clinched the three-match series against Sri Lanka with huge wins in Hobart and Melbourne.

Hussey, who made his Test debut at the late age of 30 in 2005, has become Australia's 12th-leading runscorer with 6183 runs at 51.52.

Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said Hussey would be a
huge loss on and off the field for Australia.

Western Australia Cricket Association (WACA) president and former Australian fast bowling great Dennis Lillee said Hussey was an ornament to the game.

"He is a great exponent of all forms of the game, but it is his Test cricket skills that excited me as he could play with his back to the wall and be aggressive -- or a combination of both -- at the flick of a switch….He will go down as one of the all-time greats for WA and Australia." (AFP)