The Australian cricketer Matthew Wade is set to retire from first-class cricket after the Sheffield Shield final.
Matthew Wade to Retire from FC Cricket
Matthew Wade has announced that he will be retiring from FC cricket after playing in the finals match for Tasmania against Western Australia in Perth next week.
Wade has played 165 fc games including 36 Test matches for Australia and has amassed 9183 runs with a high score of 152.
He recently appeared for the national side during the T20I series on Australia’s tour of New Zealand in 2024 where the visitors swept the series 3-0.
Australian WK-Batter Matthew Wade who plays for Gujarat Titans in the IPL will delay his departure for Tasmania for the summit clash of Australia’s domestic red-ball tournament. He will miss the opener match in the upcoming season for IPL 2024.
But he will continue to play in the white-ball series for his country, state team Tasmania, and in the Big Bash League for the Hobart Hurricanes.
“I want to be at my best for white-ball cricket, especially BBL,” he said on Friday. “I feel like the squad we’ve got with the Hurricanes should be, it is spoken about every year … pushing for finals if not contending for titles.
“Not playing the longer format of the game will allow me to get stronger, get in the gym a bit more, and have some longevity in that format.
“I’ve got two years (with Hobart) but I’d love to play longer if I could. I feel fresh. There certainly isn’t (an element of) ‘I’m not playing well enough or I don’t feel I can contribute enough’. It’s more the younger players have managed to shove me out the door.”
The 36-year-old who earned his test cap in 2012, played 36 Test matches between 2012 and 2021. Wade won four shield titles during his career with Victoria before returning to Tasmania ahead of the 2017-18 summer.
“The last Shield I managed to win was the first time an away team had won in a long time so hopefully I can wind back the clock and get it done again,” Wade said today.
“Red-ball cricket has always been my number one and favorite format,” added Wade. “What I’m going to miss is sitting down after four days of really grinding it out in a first-class game and having a beer with your teammates.
“I’ve played franchise leagues around the world and you don’t get that feeling.”
Wade thanked his wife Julia, his family, and the junior club at Clarence for their support.
“I would like to thank my family, my wife Julia, and kids Winter, Goldie, and Duke, for the sacrifices they have made throughout my career, as I traveled Australia and the world as a red-ball cricketer,” said Wade.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenges that the long-form game provides, and although I will continue to play white ball cricket, wearing the Baggy Green while playing for my country remains a highlight of my career.
“I am grateful to all of my teammates throughout my career, along with Cricket Victoria for providing me with the foundations to grow as a first-class cricketer, and Cricket Tasmania for supporting me in finishing my career as a cricketer in my home state.”
While speaking Tasmania men’s head coach Jeff Vaughan spoke about Wade’s role in Tasmanian cricket.
“I would like to personally thank and congratulate Matthew for all he has done for Tasmania and Australia in red-ball cricket, he was always professional, and never shied away from the contest,” Vaughan said.
“While his career with our Shield squad may be coming to an end, we look forward to still having him around our group in white ball cricket for the coming years playing for the Tigers, and in purple for the Hurricanes.
“We hope that we can help send him off with a win in the Sheffield Shield Final next week, and we know that he has given his all for our badge every time he played for Tasmania,” concluded Jeff Vaughan.
