Australia’s wicketkeeper-batter Matthew Wade announced his international retirement on Tuesday (Oct 29) having been out of favour with the national team. Wade, a member of Australia’s 2021 T20 World Cup winning squad will now join the national team in a coaching capacity during next month’s T20I series with Pakistan. Wade retires after representing the Aussies in more than 200 international matches.
“I was fully aware my international days were most likely over at the end of the last T20 World Cup. My international retirement and coaching has been a constant conversation with George [Bailey] and Andrew [McDonald] over the past six months,” Wade said announcing his retirement.
“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 added.
The Tasmanian batter played 36 Tests, 97 ODIs and 92 T20Is for Australia between 2011 and 2024. He was a key figure in their T20 World Cup title in the UAE in 2021 where he became a finisher, hitting an unbeaten 41 off 17 balls in the semi-final against Pakistan.
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Wade was not part of the ODI and Test set-up and last represented in the formats in 2021. However, he continued to be part of the T20I side as a batting expert. Wade also confirmed that he will continue to play in franchise leagues like the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Big Bash League despite being part of Australia’s coaching set-up under Andrew McDonald.
Australia are set to play Pakistan in the white-ball series in November as they start a busy period of summer action. The white-ball series will include three ODIs and as many T20Is before action turns to Test cricket as India visit Down Under. India will play the Aussies in a five-match Test series pivotal in the race for the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
