Graeme Swann announces his retirement from international cricket

[pphanse81]

Graeme Swann, the England offspinner, has retired from all international cricket and first-class cricket with immediate effect.

Swann, 34, will not play in the final two Tests of the Ashes tour and will finish his career with 255 wickets at 29.96 from his 60 Tests. However, on a disappointing tour of Australia in which England have gone down 3-0 after the first three Tests, Swann has been one of the senior players who has failed to have an impact and has managed only seven wickets at 80.

"I came to Australia in the hope of winning our fourth Ashes series on the trot but that's now impossible," Swann, a regular columnist with the Sun, said in the paper. "So it's time for someone else to buckle in and enjoy the ride.

"I could have made myself available for the last two Tests and maybe had a bit of a send-off from the Barmy Army. But that's no reason to hang on for two more games. I like to be the centre of attention -- but for the right reason by winning games of cricket."

Swann reportedly told his team-mates and coach Andy Flower of his decision at a practice session in Melbourne ahead of the Boxing Day Test, which starts on Thursday. He will leave the game as England's second-leading spinner behind Derek Underwood, who took 297 Test wickets.

"I hoped that form and fitness might allow me a crack at Underwood's record but that pales into insignificance after losing the Ashes," Swann said. "If I carried on playing just to try to beat individual records, I'd have become the kind of player I have always hated." :clap

In an official statement released by the ECB, Swann said his decision had been made "after a great deal of consideration".

"This decision has been very difficult seeing as the England team has been my family for seven years now, but I feel that now is the right time to step down," Swann said. "I don't regret a single day of my career. Every high has been celebrated with verve and vigour and every low painfully accepted as a chance to learn and improve.

"My personal highlights include the three Ashes victories, of which I will cherish for the rest of my life, and the World T20 victory in the West Indies which ranks as my limited overs highlight. I have met, played with and against, and become friends with some magnificent people throughout my journey and feel truly privileged to have been given these opportunities.

"I'd also like to pay tribute to both Northamptonshire County Cricket Club for giving me my grounding in the game and Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club for turning me into the cricketer I wanted to be. Two Championship titles and my maiden one day final victory with the Outlaws are also achievements of which I am immensely proud.

"With two games to go in Australia and then a fiercely competitive summer against Sri Lanka and India I feel that it is a great time for someone else to strap themselves in and hopefully enjoy the ride as much as I have.

"Finally I'd like to thank all my England team mates for their non-stop support and camaraderie and of course wish Andy Flower and Alastair Cook all the success in the world for the future. First and foremost I am a fervent England fan at heart."

Flower said: "Graeme Swann has made an outstanding contribution to the England cricket team in all formats throughout an incredibly successful career and I would like to congratulate him on all that he has achieved. His commitment, competitive spirit and sense of humour have been recognised and admired by team mates and supporters alike and he has played a big part in England's success over the last five years. The dressing room will be a very different place without Graeme's unique personality and I would like to wish him all the very best for the future."

As well as his Test appearances, Swann will depart with 104 wickets from 79 one-day internationals and 51 wickets from 39 Twenty20 internationals. He has not ruled out the possibility of playing in the IPL.

Graeme Swann retires mid-series

 

[Karthik]

Sad to hear as he is retiring.

 

[shawl_who]

Quite shocking... he was playing well, and isnt too old as well. :skd

 

[Basil]

Attacking Swann was our plan - Lehmann​

Australia's coach Darren Lehmann believes the ability of his batsmen to hit the now retired Graeme Swann out of the attack over the first three Tests was a major contributor in Australia reclaiming the Ashes. However, Lehmann also said Swann had been a great bowler for England over his five years in the Test team and should serve as inspiration to Nathan Lyon, who like Swann is a regulation offspinner without doosras or mystery deliveries.

In England earlier this year, Swann was the leading wicket taker from either side when he collected 26 victims at 29.03, but in the return series in Australia on less friendly pitches he managed only seven at an average of 80. Notably, Swann also leaked runs at the alarming rate of 3.94 an over, easily his worst economy rate in any Test series, and it was the result of a plan from the Australians to take after Swann.

After Lehmann spoke to the press in Melbourne on Sunday, one journalist remarked to him that Swann's final act as a Test bowler was being taken for 21 off an over as Australia chased quick runs in the second innings in Perth. "Twenty-two," Lehmann corrected. He remembered clearly Shane Watson's three sixes and a four that fitted perfectly Australia's method against Swann.

"We had a plan for him in England but didn't execute it as well. We changed things around a little bit," Lehmann said in Melbourne on Sunday. "He's a big player when they've only got four bowlers, or now they've got five with Stokes in their side, and you have to try and take one or two of them out of the equation and make their quicks bowl more. That was certainly a plan from us.

"He's been a great bowler for England and he's obviously decided enough is enough and moved forward in his life ... They're obviously going to go down Monty's path in the next two Test matches so it's a challenge for our blokes to change the way we play against left-arm spin. He [Swann] has been an exceptional bowler and bowled very well in England against us."

Swann's ability to take 255 Test wickets since debuting at the age of 29 in December 2008 - no bowlers has accumulated more Test victims in that period - has revitalised the art of offspin in Test cricket, particularly for those bowlers who lack unusual variations such as the doosra. One such bowler is Lyon, who has collected 95 wickets in 28 Test appearances and said he had looked up to Swann.

"If Nathan Lyon takes 255 he'd be pretty proud of himself I would think," Lehmann said. "Graeme has had a great career and contributed to England wins for a long period of time. Nathan can take heart from that. They're obviously very traditional offspinners. From Nathan's point of view he's got a good career in front of him and it's up to him to grab it with both hands."

 

[Basil]

:'(

 

[Basil]

bad decision from swann.he is 34 years old and he is england's no.1 spinner.They have lost the ashes to aussies and now a big bolt for them.looks like the aussies are going to do a whitewash this time in the ashes.Bad one for england.