Kolkata : Australian star wicket keeper Batter Matthew Wade has announced retirement from international Cricket on October 29, 2024.
With his retirement, Wade moves to a new journey, taking up coaching role for Australia Men’s Senior team and will join the staff from T20I series against Pakistan starting from November.
Wade was part Australian team of ICC T20 WC 2024 which failed to qualify for semi finals. After featuring in India Series later, he was overlooked and it was eminent that it will bring an end to his limited overs career. He retired from Test Cricket in March.
Wade will continue to play in the BBL for Hobart Hurricanes and some franchise tournaments around the world. He will also now work with what is a reasonably youthful Australia T20I squad which will be coached by Andre Borovec while Andrew McDonald and his other assistants preparing for the Test series against India. Wade will also spend time with Australia’s coaching group during the ODI series in an unofficial capacity.
“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.
“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.”
Overall, Wade 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.
“As my international career closes, I want to thank all of my Australian team-mates, staff and coaches,” he said. “I enjoyed the ride as challenging as it can be at international level. Without good people around me I would have never got as much out of myself as I did”, Wade added.
With end to an illustrious international career, Wade will now like to add more to his cabinet as a coach.
